Throughout Space and Time
by FlashDriver
Summary: A Oneshot-Dump for Silver and Blaze related things, most commonly tending Silvaze. This is primarily for quick and compact stories though there is the potential for sequels. AUs sprinkled throughout, though most entries could slot somewhere into the games/comics. Other ships such as Sonamy appear, often briefly, and continuity between Oneshots will be rare. Please review!
1. In a Perfect World

A deep breath in, a deep breath out, a deep breath in, a deep breath out. Just outside the Sol Palace Silver was doubled within in a great stone courtyard, feeling the weight of a displeased stare. Training with Blaze was perhaps the most exhausting exercise Silver had ever experienced, once upon a time they'd had triweekly spars to assure their dominance over the ever emerging Iblis but today it was as though the trial was brand new. He remembered those training days well, tearing through a devastated city; tossing rubble and blocking flames with psychic barriers… but this body clearly didn't. He used to have the advantage over her, but this time where she had eaten healthily while he'd subsisted on rings…

Silver dragged himself to his feet, hands raised and palms open before his face. There was a crease to her brow, her hands crackling with orange embers. "You need to keep pushing, starting a proper diet will only do so much; you've got to work and hone your skills."

Teeth grit, Silver took a step forward and closed his right palm; a wave of psychokinetic energy aimed to ensnare Blaze missed as she sidestepped his capture zone. He tried to respond thrusting his left hand toward her and creating a psychokinetic wind, only for her to flip right of the blast. She got close enough and struck his ribs with a flaming palm, the heat hit him but it was the force that sent him flying; racing across the courtyard toward the southern wall. He threw his hands to his sides and braced, coming to a sudden halt in the air was almost as painful as just hitting the wall but it would give him the momentum to press forward. Crossing his arms in front of himself before throwing them to his sides he extended a great psychic grip across the centre of the courtyard only for Blaze to flip onto the eastern wall; pushing off of it and lunging toward him. He was prepared this time though, poorly but prepared. The cobbles of the courtyard began to rocket toward him, and thusly were heading her.

Being mid-leap Silver knew Blaze had few options, tearing the stones toward him with his right hand he cast a barrier with his left; prepared to block the bricks from hitting him but make certain they'd hit her. That'd been the plan anyway and Silver had thought it a right good one… until Blaze, albeit struck twice by the flying debris, latched onto Silver from his unprotected side with her flaming hands; thus allowing her not only to utilise his rapidly deteriorating shield but pull him back to the ground. Knowing he couldn't hesitate Silver thrust his left hand at her and managed to catch her in his grasp only for the very stones he'd pulled to hail down on them; in shock Silver immediately released Blaze as both were skelped by the raining shards. He raised his hand to catch, halt and drop the onslaught only for Blaze to be upon him; a hand gripping his chest fur and a flaming fist raised to strike.

With a sigh the fire was snuffed, she rose and moved the hand from his chest to reach out and help him up. He accepted the aid, slowly staggering to his feet; his fur bedraggled and splotched with grey singe marks. Blaze hadn't come out of this perfect, there was a tear at her shoulder where the cobblestones had impacted and a mark above her right brow but that aside she'd been basically unharmed. She was giving him one of her stern looks, a you know what's coming kind of look. She started, "You need to be aiming where I'll be, not where I am. You can't just keep reaching out and hoping you'll eventually catch me, you need to plan your movements in advance. You're also telegraphing each of your attacks far too much… is something the matter?"

Silver's hand lingered in hers; it wasn't the crushing grip as he might have received for acting this way in Crisis city but the concern was still there. He knew he'd have to pick his words carefully; otherwise things could get dicey in the next round. "I… I don't like fighting you Blaze," seeing the furrow of her brow he knew that was a poor start but he pressed on, "I-It's not because I don't think you're strong, far from it you're running circles around me. It's just that…I don't like being hurt by you and I don't like the idea of hurting you. We're not in Crisis city anymore, it's not like we have to fight to survive here."

Blaze sighed, taking his other hand in hers; "I understand that Silver, but it's naïve of you to think so short-sightedly. Eventually, something will come up and it's not as though we're only protecting ourselves now, this dimension is full of civilians; we need to be as strong as we can be for both each other and them." Silver's eyes closed as he took deep breaths, partially recovering and trying to accept that fact. His train of broke down however when she continued; "If it makes you feel any better we can do something more peaceful afterwards, how about a meal… just the two of us. An experience we could never have had to go with one we had so often. Does that seem fair?"

A triple barrelled combination of the hand holding, the use of the term naïve and the offer of what essentially amounted to a dinner date meant Silver couldn't meet her gaze for the redness in his face. "I thought naiveté was a thing you liked about me, but you're bringing it up like it's some kind of problem?"

She paused for a moment, "It's not a problem, I like it about you… it is very endearing," Silver couldn't help but shoot a half glance, Blaze to was now looking away red in the face. At least he wasn't alone in this, "But I can't let your naiveté get you into trouble. While you're in this dimension you're my responsibility, as harsh as it sounds I need to have you at your strongest. I know you can be incredible, you can be both strong and kind, capable of feats I could never perform... I want you to fight me so, if the time comes, you can fight with me."

"F-For you Blaze I'd do anything, you know that." He watched as the feline turned scarlet, her hands rapidly heating in his. The hedgehog taking a good half-minute to realise the weight of what he'd said. "I-I mean it's true but, I-I-

"Let's get started again." The grip was dropped; redness still to her white cheeks Blaze hands caught fire as she slowly stepped backwards. Silver, still not feeling stable on his feet, began to hover; not far above the ground but just out of reach were she to strike from a grounded position. He recalled what she had said, to aim where she was going and not where she was… that his attacks were much too telegraphed. He took her criticisms to heart, psychokinetic energy glowing about his person.

He kept his hands raised before himself, he didn't have to fight hard… he just had to fight smarter. That's all this was to this, he could stand to take fewer hits than her and he still wasn't entirely comfortable fighting her, but with his abilities neutralising wasn't too difficult. He crossed his arms before himself; the scattered cobles raced toward him and created an asteroid field style barrier. This took around a third of the courtyard's cobbles, the individual pieces creating a maze of rock difficult to penetrate. Blaze wasn't going to let this defensive act go unpunished, while the stones granted him potential offence and defence he was exerting a lot of his focus to hold them individually rather than in a cluster. She began to beat on the barrier with thrown flames, keeping up the pressure from a distance as she slowly approached, awaiting an opening.

That was until the now blazing hail of stone shifted toward her, pebbles coming directly toward her and a wall to her left… the only option was to dodge right! She leapt without hesitation, but she was certain this was a trap; as such jumping higher than she did right and taking a minor bashing from the oncoming hail… but as she watched beneath her his psychic grip hadn't been aimed for her. Or rather if it had he'd grabbed something else in the process, more of the remaining cobles were glowing teal; he had released the first stones as he threw them!

Shrapnel bounced toward her, a reverse hail of stones rushing passed and bludgeoning her. She was thrown to the air… but foolishly he had launched her back toward him! Flames grew on her person, glowing red at her fist, Silver's eyes flashed in shock as he tried to create a barrier… but he was just too late! The flaming fist contact with his chest, this time he met with the wall but holding himself in the air meant the force was relatively small. He braced against it and pushed off, psychic might and his limited physical power working together he flew back toward her palms open. She was falling, nowhere left to go, he had caught her! Teal light shrouded the entirety of her being; he fell to the ground as what little of his remaining energy surrounded her.

"I… I got you this time! I did-

Blaze had been burning away at his psychokinetic energy from the moment he captured her in his grip. It wasn't a technique she thought others could perform, if the likes of Sonic or Knuckles were captured all their strength lay in physical abilities. This was not the case for her. She'd dealt him a single kick to the side, non-flaming, and he was back on all fours. Her clothes were shredded; she could feel where the plates had deflected off her body. It hadn't been an even fight but the gap was certainly smaller than she thought, with a proper diet and some more training they would stand together as they once had. While his body seemed weaker when compared to her own his psychokinesis itself may have been stronger.

She crouched down, gingerly taking his hand and dusting the soot off his quills. He looked up to her, red in the face and panting; "Did you have to do that?"

She found herself quite distracted as she continued to leaf through his quills; "Hm? Well you wouldn't have learned if I let you off so easy, would you? You won't make that mistake again." The back ones were so long, she knew he should probably trim them but leaving some length might be nice. She was pulled from this distraction by the grumbling of his stomach beneath her, realising what she was doing the Princess pulled back. Both were more than a little red in the face, though she tried to assume Silver was embarrassed by his stomach or simply out of breath. "Right, yes Dinner." Blaze looked to her clothes and quickly realised they were much too damaged for public, they'd need to get something delivered or prepared within the Castle. She finally pulled away, supporting him via shoulder lift.

They managed to make their way through the castle relatively unnoticed, there was a stern look Gardon but Silver was much too tired to notice, Blaze shrugged it off and gave the order to send for food, a sewing kit and bandages. She made it into her room, quickly lowering him to sit on her bed… only for him to collapse backward, very nearly smacking his head off the wall. "H-How often are we going to do this? I don't think I could take it three days a week… not yet at least."

She sat next to him, making sure he was whining rather than properly injured. "Perhaps once a week, we'll wait until you're healthy at least before making it more frequent." She rested a hand on his knee, "It'll get much easier the longer that we work at it. Training is still important, even if the threat is less immanent."

"I know, I know. It's just… in a perfect world we wouldn't have to do this. We could just relax on a quiet… what day is it? I'm still not used to calendars." Silver admitted, slowly sitting up.

Before Blaze could answer there was a knock at the door; she left and returned with a platter of sandwiches, a roll of bandages and a sewing kit. "It's Monday and yes it would be nice but we're still not in a perfect world. We're in a world with issues now and your world is still devastated." Setting it down on her bedside table she returned to her prior position; "I assume we'll be working at it for some times, we've got two worlds to care for now after all."

There was a beat of silence, Blaze removed her jacket to begin sewing; Silver had just about caught his breath. "I wonder what we'll do when it is…"

She paused, "When what's what?"

He crossed his legs, allowing himself to fall back again… this time actually smacking his head before it met with the bed sheets. "When the worlds are perfect, when we've got no more fights to win and nothing left to fix. I don't know that I'll stay in the future, I can't leave it destroyed but by the time it's fixed… I don't know if I'll fit in. I guess what I'm saying is, when things are right, I'd rather stay here with you… but I'm not sure what we'll do when that time comes. We've been fighting most of our lives."

There was another pause as Blaze reflected on what he had said, she reached over retrieving a sandwich for herself and held one to him; "I guess it'll be more like this. The quieter moments, just enjoying each other's company. We'll probably be older by then, I don't know by quite how much but it'll be nice to relax, even I can admit that despite the seriousness of my position. But you're serious, when things are fixed you want to stay here?"

He took the sandwich but also gently pulled her arm back, prompting her into a lying position to; "Of course, I know you can't leave and while I want to save the future… I'd rather not be without you again. Besides, it's the choice of a place alien to me with you or one alien to me without you. There's not even a question of where I'd rather be, of course, it's with you. I don't want to leave your side again." Putting the sandwich in his mouth, almost the whole thing in a rather impolite manner (though Blaze knew he knew no better) he just about passed out as the taste of salmon.

She allowed herself to lie down beside him, nibbling the sandwich in thought. Swallowing she continued, "If… if you want to stay here with me I would certainly be accommodating and more than happy. But are you certain Silver? This is something you've been working toward for two lives."

He hadn't quite recovered from the taste, but there was no hesitation; "I'm sure. I've been thinking about it for a while and I think I'd like to spend my life here with you, when everything is calm and everything is fixed I want to be with you."

It was probably the tiredness, that compounded by the food he ate but Silver seemed completely oblivious to the effect his words were having let alone their perceived meaning. Blaze could feel the temperature rising, she tried to focus on the ceiling. "Well… we're together now and I certainly don't plan to leave your side. I'll fight until we no longer have to, that's a promise."

She looked to her partner only to find her had drifted off, of course… comfortable in a way he had never been before, he'd never really slept in proper bed; just destroyed remains, let alone a bed for a princess. She rose slightly, retrieving the bandages and scissors from the sewing kit and gently began to bind the wounds he'd left. Nothing had been too deep, he'd probably just have bruising, but it was best to be safe and cover what was injured. She was around halfway done when she felt herself yawn, perhaps training had taken more out of her than she anticipated. She looked to the chair in the corner, a well-sized and comfortable lounger, and then she looked back to Silver… comfort and warmth that didn't come from fire.

The choice was obvious; she lowered herself back down next to Silver, her right hand fell on the centre of his thick-furred chest. She knew it was early, the sun was still far from setting, but this was more important right now. Enjoying the quiet peace in a world imperfect but far better than the one they'd known, feeling his chest rise and fall she allowed herself to drift asleep.


	2. A Powerful Question

Spending free time in Sonic's dimension was always strange for Blaze. She liked to keep her close friend group small; Silver, Marine and Cream were all the close-knit friends she needed however, there was a… not quite a problem but a stipulation tied to being with Cream. Being with Cream usually meant someone else would come along as well, often multiple people. Through Cream Blaze had to sit through tea parties with a crocodile, long walks with a giant cat and most commonly Amy. Of those three Amy was in some ways the most bearable, she kept the conversation going and was generally polite; albeit conversation usually focussed around Sonic. But it was Amy lead to going to see Sonic, Sonic lead to Tails and Knuckles and so the group would grow and grow from the small gathering to a full-blown party. This meant when Amy had approached to make the arrangements Blaze had been extremely hesitant; however there had been a promise that this meeting would not be like ones prior… but no further details had been given.

It had started innocuous enough, taking tea in the house of Cream's mother Vanilla. She'd entered Cream's room to find Amy already there; strange as Blaze had arrived early but not notable. They'd sat down, made pleasantries, and the conversation had started with Amy's roles in Sonic's current exploits as was typical. There was however a strange cadence to her rambling today. Every so often after saying the likes of "I'm sure he'll be my boyfriend someday!" or "Our love is destined" she would pause for an abnormally long sip of tea, as if anticipating Blaze or Cream to respond in some way. Additionally Cream had been quiet for most of the afternoon, shooting nervous glances between the two. Finally, a good three sonic stories later (as Amy's train of thought arrived at the next station and she took at sip) Blaze looked to the young rabbit; "Cream you're looking a little anxious, is something the matter?"

Cream turned to Amy with her giant, pleading, eyes; the hedgehog took a long sip of her tea before gently lowering cup to saucer. "We'd hoped this would come up more naturally Blaze but as you don't seem to be breaching it… how is your relationship with Silver going?"

Not even Cheese, sat at the table with his own cup, made a sound. Blaze could feel a heat begin to rise, she clenched her forearm to sure herself; "I'm not sure what you mean, we're close but we're-

"Blaze I have talked about Sonic for a solid two hours, it's okay. You can be honest about Silver for five minutes. I'm sure psychokinesis can be pretty romantic right? Does he float you things often? Roses and chocolates?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment, leaning in; "Has he taken you for a flight? Oh I'm sure that must have been so romantic, being carried off into the sunset… I'd love Sonic to pick me up and run…"

Blaze's grip tightened as she attempted to tune out Amy, she could feel her ears reaching to the heavens and fire consume her face. She stared intently into her nigh empty teacup… only for Cream to tug at her arm. "Miss Blaze, n-none of this has to leave your room. It'll all be private, we promise."

"We're not a couple!" Blaze felt herself shout and immediately cringed back into her seat, ears lowering and just as red. She gently took the rabbit's hand; "I'm sorry Cream, but no Silver and I are-

She'd never had to put their relationship into words, they were closer than friends but every alternative made it sound like they were in a relationship. "We're partn- companions, that's all. We're as close as people can be but we're not… we're not dating."

"Ehhh?" Amy's jaw had dropped, her brows threatening to demolish her forehead; "But you're always together, when you're around him you look so relaxed. He's come with you when you visit for months now; you're really not together yet? Everyone's just kind of accepted it's a thing."

"E-Everyone?" Blaze was looking for a way out of this conversation but none were coming to her.

"Well… Cream and I for certain, I told Sonic about it the last time you were here… I told Knuckles to, he can be dense to these things so I wanted to be sure he knew, but you're saying you're not?" Amy appeared to be overcoming the biggest shock of her life, leaning forward so far she may as well have been laying on the table. "But you look so different when you're together; you lose like… twenty, maybe fifteen present of your sternness and he usually looks so anxious, but with you he's always smiling. You bring out the best in each other, why are you not a couple?"

If she'd phrased it any other way Blaze would have been able to shrug it off, say they were close regardless of their relationship status, but by phrasing it that way the floodgate of questions opened in her mind. "W-Why…? Well, I've never really thought…"

Cream, in her half whisper voice, asked; "You've never even thought about it?"

Blaze distracted herself, pouring a cup of tea before closing her eyes. She took a sip, it didn't help the strange heat creeping around her face; "I… umm…" She brought a hand to her forehead.

"This is even better though! Now you've realised, awww I get to watch this love blossom!" Though she wasn't looking it was clear Amy was moving quite wildly, "We can help set up dates and-

Blaze's eyes snapped open, "I think I'd rather… look into these thoughts myself. Thank you though, Amy." She could already see the girl was preparing a response, "If I need any help I'll let you know but… for now at least, please. Cream, Amy, if you'll excuse me." Blaze left promptly, far earlier than she had planned, collected Silver and returned to the Sol dimension.

* * *

It'd been a week since Blaze had rushed from her tea party to him and insisted they return. Despite his asking she said things had been fine but it was very clear that they hadn't, she'd was agitated and since that day they'd only been together twice. The first time was the night after they returned; he'd been having dinner with her for some time, Marine too on this occasion, as Blaze often had to attend royal duties during the day. Marine arrived and made a joke, the type she hadn't made for a short while, asking if she was interrupting a date. Blaze had never taken them greatly but something was different this time, she hadn't left but she'd been even less talkative than usual that evening; as though giving them both the cold-shoulder rather than grilling Marine. It made for an awkward evening, Marine tossed a handful of apologises but they didn't seem to breach Blaze's frigid wall. Silver had tried to move the conversation on but it hadn't really worked out. At the end of the night Blaze said she was going to be busy the next few days and would try but likely wouldn't be able to make it to dinner. She hadn't appeared for it since but he'd been making meals in Marine's house, always enough for two or three when Marine said she wanted in. He'd take what could be taken over to the castle, soup and cold dishes mostly, but there was never a response.

The second time was arguably worse. Despite saying she was going to be busy, having not seen her for six days, he bumped into her. He'd been wandering around the beach at noon, looking for shells to add to his rapidly expanding collection and visiting the rock pools, when he saw her. She was walking the length of the beach, heading toward him. He'd called out, waved to her and she had waved back but… the conversation had been scant. She hadn't come any closer, he'd made up the distance, but when he asked how she was doing busy was all she'd say. She did apologise for missing dinners but said it would be a while yet till she could attend. He'd asked what was wrong, certain there was something, only to be told it was nothing he could help with; some kind of work thing. And with that she went, kept walking along the beach.

Since that first dinner Silver had started to feel something… different. Since he had arrived in her dimension, memories regained, Blaze had always been with him. He was laying out on the beach, looking lazy but truthfully in deep thought. She'd always been there in person, within arms reach, but now she was lording over his thoughts, out of sight let alone reach. They'd been together for so long, then they were separated yet out each other's mind… this was the first time in knowing each other they had been apart for an extended period. And it was awful, this wasn't a good feeling at all; there a weight on his chest and mind he couldn't shift no matter how he tried.

He'd spent 14 years mostly alone in a destroyed city, he'd come to the present and made friends only to leave again and never felt a weight of loneliness like this. When Blaze was around, even during their beach encounter, it had fully lifted momentarily. He closed his eyes, tried to focus, more important than why he felt this way without Blaze was why Blaze was upset. Marine had made that joke before, it'd usually prompted an eye roll or at worst a heavy frown but she'd never been this upset… not since he'd been around at least. Something had probably happened in Sonic's time but he couldn't place what as hard as he tried. She'd been taking tea with Cream… he had no idea how the tiny rabbit could cause her such an issue, was it really just work?

His head was starting to spin; he listened to the crash of waves against the shore. There was no way he'd be able to figure out what was wrong with Blaze, not without going to Sonic's dimension… so he was left with his thoughts on her and this weight. He just wanted her to be happy again, was that so difficult? If he knew what the problem was then he was sure he'd be able to solve it, they could solve just about anything together.

"Hey mate, you holdin' up alright? I'm still sorry about… you know." He opened his eyes to find Marine standing above him; hands clasped with a rather despondent look in her face. Her eyes lacked their usual excited light, no broad smile or cheeky grin on her face.

Silver sat up, tapping the ground next to her as a gesture to sit; "You're fine Marine, I think it's something else rather than what you did. A week ago we left the other dimension rather early."

She took a seat, perking up a little, "Oh? I… I only really make that joke because it surprises me that you two are always together but you're not together-together."

Silver raised a brow; "Why are you surprised? Blaze is friends with Sonic too isn't she? Sure we're together more and we've been together longer but does that change things?"

"She is, but you two are kinda inseparable. I'm her mate too, I see her more than most, but she isn't like that wi' me mate. She gets this… how should I put it…" Marine stopped for a good minute, her expression twisting like a whirlpool; "She's more relaxed and less… hmm… I don't want to say angry, I guess serious but that's not right? Maybe like... she's more cheerful with you than I've ever seen 'er."

"She…she is?" Silver blinked, Blaze wasn't exactly happy go lucky but he'd never thought of her as "I thought she was just always like that."

"Pffft, oh no mate, she's had some strops in 'er time with me I tell ya. Got 'er and me in some bother before. Nah, she's different with you and if this week is anything to go by, yer pretty lost without her." Marine explained, "Wandering the beach, makin' extra meals… whatever it was you were doing just now. Usually you're flying around lookin' at stuff or helping folk in town with your psychic powers."

He supposed there had been a change, "I guess I've been a little less proactive…"

Marine nodded and there was another pause, not as long this time and with less of a confused expression on Marine's face. "Do you like… like her?"

"Of co-

"You know what I mean mate, probably at least, like as in… wanna date like?" Marine's usual jovial tone was almost entirely gone; it was only one level more jovial than when she'd said sorry earlier.

"I… uhh…" Silver, could feel an uncomfortable heat on his face; he traced some squiggles in the sand, "I… it sounds like it kinda doesn't it?"

Marie sighed in the most giant, over exaggerated, manner the tiny racoon could; flopping onto the sand next to him. "None of that mate, just gimme a yes or no. That's what you'd have to give her right?"

Silver closed his eyes and thought on this for a while. Blaze was many things to him; he depended on her more than any other. In the past…future… it was still confusing to him but they had fought together and lived side by side, they'd only had each other to really live for. He'd tried to give himself up for her and failed, she had done the same for him and succeeded. They had met again and remembered; their paths couldn't have split any further yet they reunited. He'd come to her world on her orders more than anything. She'd said she wouldn't stand to have him stuck in that awful place and that he needed to take some kind of break. He thought he'd only agreed because of the separation between her world and Sonic's past but if someone else had asked would he have said yes? Since then he had learned to make meals so she had a reason to see him at night, learned manners so he could fit in at the palace and tried to be there whenever things went wrong.

He wanted to save the future and its people sure, but would he do things this personal for anyone but Blaze? By the time he opened his eyes, finally having an answer, there was a figure standing over him.

* * *

Marine was here, that would make things more awkward than they already were. Blaze stood over Silver, standing straight with her arms were folded loosely. He had been making a face like he was trying to move the moon but at the sight of her he went from resting on his elbows to flat on his back to standing up in the blink of an eye. "Blaze, hello! A-Are you alright?!" He let out out a cough, realising he'd been shouting in a surprised stupor. "Sorry. Are, are you alright?"

She let out a small sigh, not certain how to proceed; "I'm better now than I was certainly… are you okay?"

He seemed to relax his stance a little at that though there was what looked to be sunburn creeping up his face. "I'm fine now that you're better, that's for certain. Was it just Princess stuff?"

She let out a little sigh, uncrossing her arms. "No, unfortunately, that would have been far simpler to deal with. I lied to you Silver and I'm sorry. It wasn't without deep consideration, I was doing some self-reflection."

"Oh, that's alright. I have something to-

"No, I'm sorry; I'm not quite done. I probably best get this all out, it's taking a lot to stand here." She hated cutting him off but she knew if she didn't say this now she'd deny herself. Looking to him she received an affirmative nod, though it was coupled with an undeniable look of worry. She took a sharp breath; "I was thinking about us and how we… I was thinking about how I…I've… We've…" She clenched her fists, her eyes closed and grit her teeth. Through burning cheeks she forced herself to speak; she'd stopped him talking to say something so she had to say it. "We've been together through so much that I couldn't love anyone how I love you Silver. I love you so much I didn't think to announce it to you or even myself, I didn't even realise it." She fully admitted, redness having fully consumed her. "I… you can say what you wanted now."

"Umm… uhh… Blaze I…" She was struggling to look, embarrassment pounded in her head but opening her eyes she saw it; Silver's face had turned to strained watermelon. There was an extended beat of silence, he looked like he might collapse; "Um, I… yes."

Marine, who had thankfully been quiet for this entire exchange, finally cut in; "Yes mate?"

"Y-Yes...yes!" Silver's head lowered, he was trembling, a hand extended to Blaze; "Yes I-I think- No! I-I agree."

Marine blinked, "You agree? Are you going for a handshake?"

"N-No, I just…" Silver took a deep breath, "I feel the same. Th… I don't… there is no one else I'd rather spend my time with, I-I love you too Blaze."

Blaze took a step passed the hand, still feeling the pressure of embarrassment, and embraced him. She felt his arms slowly envelope her, Marine exploding with excitement… but Blaze was too distracted keeping herself cool, scared she might melt him in her embarrassment.


	3. Fireworks

Marine was having a hard time keeping up with all this. She was hiding in the back, ducked beneath the crates and barrels that comprised her treasure store, using the cover of night in an attempt to better hide. Holes were opening in the deck of the ship, only visible as a fire waged at the bow… from it a figure, seemingly untouched by the licking of flames, stepped free. A metallic hedgehog, blue in colouration, with fingers pointed like knives and a cold red stare that cut across the ship. In its path stood a purple figure, wearing flames without burning, and a silver figure; his entire figure wrapped in a teal hue. Marine had known Silver and Blaze were strong alone but seeing them together like this was bordering on surreal, were they even the same stubborn princess and ditzy future boy she'd known?

With a wave of a psychokinetic hand the flames at the bow were gone, the metal figure's legs buckled as it was pushed to the ground, surrounded in the same hue Silver had been. A second couldn't have passed yet Blaze was already upon the machine, a burning foot cut up the robot's chest and launched it high; peeling away the psychic wrap that to mix it with a swirl of sparks. Metal Sonic's chest was torn but the machine was far from finished, hanging in the air like a marionette its legs spun like a top but Blaze was already out of reach, a brief hue had overcome her and tugged her back; landing elegantly on her feet. The moment she was beside him Metal was captured in teal and thrown through the bow, splashing into the ocean. The pair was now back to back; four yellow eyes scanned the dark waters with only their generated light to guide them.

"I feel rusty, sorry." Silver spoke.

"It's a matter of rhythm, it will return. This machine stronger than past ones." Blaze quickly responded; her ears flickered at a sound Marine couldn't begin to hear, "Beneath!" She lunged, flipping and bouncing off the edge of the hull to rush back the direction she had come. Silver turned, taking two steps backwards and stretching his arms apart; the deck quickly coated in energy. There was a thud, a crash and then the Metal Sonic returned; a new hole carved in the deck but pursed in Silver's energy once more.

Blaze was relentless, she dealt a flaming haymaker punch to the machine's chest; sparks of orange and teal flew once more. The robot didn't fall to the deck, the impact had struck and its body had buckled but Silver held it still. Above the machine, still pushing with her right fist, she dug into it with her heels and leapt off the centre of its chest; great spirals of teal and red flying with her. Now the machine clattered to the ground, bouncing once past Silver only to catch itself in the air. There was damage but only superficial, without hesitation the machine launched itself toward Silver; he raised a hand to stop its movement but a field of yellow sparks surrounded the target. He caught some yellow sparks but the droid slipped his grip. His right hand spent he used the left, the machine about to slash him with its pointed fingers when Silver pushed against its head; yellow electricity surging through his cuffs and into the hedgehog made contact with the sides of its head. The machine was tossed headfirst and spiralling toward the water, crackles of teal radiating from its body. Silver clenched his fist; even in low light it was clear the fur and his glove was scored with blackness but teal still shined through. Blaze back to back with him once again.

"It's fine, I can keep going." He assured, but her scanning had grown more intense, her ears flickering constantly in the light of her flames.

"This ship is going down, you'll have debris to use. Keep the deck. But we can lose the rest." She clenched her fists, fire flickered across her and danced across Silver's teal cloaking. There were two crashes, right then left, Metal Sonic glowing on the left side. The ship was rumbling, Marine stumbled and struggled not to be crushed beneath the very crates that hid her. A barrel was rolling toward her; she leaned forward to try and catch it only for it not only to stop but for her to feel a sudden pressure weighing down on her. Marine felt herself bounce off the deck for a moment, landing on her hands and knees she crawled to peer around the a barrel's edge and was met by an impossible view.

They were in the sky; the ship was among the stars! Blaze at the edge of the deck, Silver some feet behind her; everything wrapped in a teal glow. Metal Sonic floated some distance closer, yellow sparks radiating from the machine's neck. Silver, legs wide was twisting his left hand while keeping the right perfectly still. Marine heard the crackling and breaking of timbers, metal Sonic cloaked itself in yellow electricity and rushed the boat headfirst. Blaze rushed forward, spinning in the air, the ruffles on her gloves and boots burning red. She stomped down through the electricity, planting both of her feet atop the machine's head, and spiralling back off. She used a burst of flame to push away, rushing backward to the boat, only for the machine to change its target to her. Zipping upward clawed hands reached for her only for the robot's body to be struck from beneath, launched flying by some great hunk of glowing wood.

Blaze landed the jump, her ears folding slightly as she made contact with the deck. While it wasn't as clear on Blaze as it had been Silver there was a distinct darkness to the fur on her shoes as the fires danced around them. Silver glanced to her, she responded with a serious nod; the usual light-hearted smile was quite absent from his face, though his common worried look didn't take its place. She couldn't quite tell in the strange light but his brow was furrowed, turning back to Metal Sonic she watched as it tore the mass of wood apart. Silver had pulled his blackened left fist backward, the blue sapped from his body and shined bright on that hand. He forced his hand forward and with it, from beneath the deck, a broken swarm of glowing planks and crates surged ahead like a volley of missiles. As they passed the bow Blaze threw her right hand forward, a wall of flames encircled the wood and mingled with the teal blue cloaking. The wood shifted and spun as it flew, a great rocket of fire and energy racing straight for Metal Sonic. The Machine set off in evasive manoeuvres, zigzagging across the sky but there was no escaping the rocket, shrapnel flew off it at every straight and hammered at its metal hide. Silver's quills were going wild and his left hand was waving constantly, the ship (or what remained of it) shaking as he struggled to keep the right still. Blaze rounded him and took hold of that hand; seeming to quell the deck's shaking.

The Metal Sonic was still pulling ahead of the burning mass… and now it was heading straight for them with the mass behind it, crackling yellow with electricity. Blaze looked to Silver, the pair shared a nod, she gently released his hand; the deck beginning to shake once again, Blaze rushed toward the bow with her hands alight. Bounding straight toward the machine she crossed both of her arms, two flaming blows contacted and cracked the machine's eyes and pushed it back while electricity tore through her body. Immediately the robot was pierced nigh fifty times, burning sticks jutting through its cracked yellow core. Marine had been about to celebrate when she felt the deck of the ship drop out from beneath her, the teal glow gone. She began to tumble, looking for anything to grab hold of, only to feel something take hold of her; a light pressure around her stomach and legs held her in the air. She was still being held upside down but she wasn't complaining, her eyes were wide at the sight before her.

Silver had flown up and caught Blaze, not quite in his arms but clinging to her with his left as she clung to him, chest to chest with him in a lying position. Behind them what remained of the Metal Sonic detonated, with it psychokinesis scattering and great flaming embers flickering over the background. It was like fireworks, it was like they were a great firework! Spiralling lights of orange and cyan filled the sky, flickering flames dancing with flashing orbs of psychokinetic energy smothering what little of the crackling yellow electricity remained. Marine felt herself being lowered, gently her feet met with a torn part of the deck. The pair arrived soon after; as they landed they shifted from their lying position to Blaze carrying the hedgehog on her shoulder; his markings ebbing but not nearly as light as they had once been. Blaze lit some small fires to float around her being, cloaking the deck in light. What remained of the deck was a battered and shaking sheet of wood but it seemed to be holding.

"Oi, you two were amazing! Blaze why didn't'cha tell me you could fight like that?" The Racoon rushed up to the pair, "I've never seen either of you do anythin' like that?"

"We've faced a world of chaos together, one machine shouldn't have given us that much trouble. I suppose it was a newer version." Blaze look to Silver, "We'll need to get you eating properly, try to build up that stamina. Are you alright?"

"The boat was bigger than I thought, there was a lot to destroy down there." Silver replied, chest rising and falling quite heavily, "It being half full of water when I lifted it… wasn't great. What about you? You had to touch it a lot, are you hurt?"

Blaze gently lowered herself, Silver lying across her legs. "Nothing that won't heal quickly. Try not to worry so much, you could have overexerted." Her hands began to leaf through his quills, her face going from her standard combat serious to far softer; "I can take hits far better than you."

"I know I know, it's never nice to see you getting hurt though." He looked content, the pulsing of his symbols returning to a consistent rate. "Ideally neither of us should be getting hurt."

"Mhm," Blaze mumbled, dusting off the fur around his neck. "It's naïve to think we'd always make it out unharmed though. I'm just glad you didn't injure yourself too badly."

Marine blinked at the pair, generating the only light for miles. "Mates, do you two like… want some private time? Cause I can turn away if yer gonna kiss or…"

With that the pair quickly separated to opposite ends of the raft, Silver using gentle Psychokinesis to quickly return them to the island.


	4. Flowers

Silver was late; this was a first and Blaze couldn't help feeling concerned. She was stood before the fountain at the heart of the main island's town in the early afternoon; sun hanging high in a nearly cloudless sky, cobbled street beneath. The Princess could feel eyes upon her, her being outside the castle usually meant some kind of event; for better or worse. Oftentimes it meant some kind of invasion so understandably citizens were on edge. There were no festivities planned for today, likely further raising the townsfolk's suspicions, she'd wanted to treat her friend to lunch from a new bakery that had opened on the east side of town. She thought he'd probably enjoy sweet foods, having had so few in his destroyed future, and he'd never been late to a meeting before before. She gripped her arm, tapping her foot; she'd give him just five more minutes before beginning to search. He could have gone anywhere with that power of his, any of the islands were within his reach… he might have overexerted, ran out of energy and fallen asleep on one. That was the best-case scenario at least; he could have gotten himself into some kind of trou-

"Blaze! Blaze!" She recognised his voice immediately, worry lingering in her heart she quickly turned to him but the sight wasn't nearly as cruel as she expected. He was untouched, unharmed, floating from the sky toward her with one hand waving and the other was held behind him. He landed before her, a sheepish smile on his face, "I'm sorry I'm late, I got a little distracted. I was in the forest."

He was uninjured, he'd delayed himself on accident; she was relieved yet at the same time felt a small twinge of disappointment. To break their perfect record over such a small thing, it wasn't a huge deal but she still felt some kind of disapproval. Her stance straightened, she folded her arms, "Well I'm glad you enjoyed yourself but try to keep better time. If you'd been any longer I would have set out searching for you, we might have missed this entirely." She couldn't help noticing that arm, still held behind him while the other was at his side. She tried not to stare, kept her eyes flickering between him and their surroundings.

"Oh, that makes sense. I'm really sorry, but I got you these; they just looked so pretty I couldn't just leave them there." And from behind his back Silver produced a dozen flowers bundled together, purple lilies with deep orange anther, and held them out to her. Immediately Blaze felt more eyes upon both of them, instantly Blaze felt her heat rise and went to scan Silver's face; only to see a kind smile. There wasn't a hint of embarrassment; there wasn't a touch of shyness to his face or even anticipation, no redness and no goofy expression. He looked exactly the same as he had upon arriving, now holding out a bouquet as though it were natural. She'd never known him to be this hard to read, the hedgehog wore his heart on his cuff and subtlety wasn't in his repertoire, yet he stood calm and regular having brought her a bouquet? This bordered on the unbelievable, he wasn't exactly being smooth but it showed a confidence and inclinations she'd never known from him.

She gently took the flowers, feeling the eyes of surrounding citizens weigh on her more and more with each passing second. She couldn't look him in the eyes, not with that unreadable expression on his face; she looked down to the flowers but only felt herself grow hotter and hotter. "Th-Thank you Silver, they're… they're wonderful, I had no idea you felt so strongly about this meeting. I suppose we are… I suppose this is kind of like a…" She was feeling a heat she had never felt before, overflowing with emotions; the weight of those watching crushed her but there was an additional weight in the centre of her chest, growing heavier with each passing second as she looked to the flowers. The word date hung on her tongue yet she was at a complete loss for words.

"Eh? Blaze, are you okay? You're quite red, have you got a fever or something? Is everything alright?" Her eyes snapped to him, his great golden orbs held a look of concern yet his face still wore no embarrassment? Neither fear nor even doubt in his actions, no matter how she looked at him she saw only concern for her wellbeing. He was leaning in now with a hand extended, previously this wouldn't have shocked her but with all these feelings bubbling she couldn't help but flinch slightly; "It's alright if you need to go rest, your health is more important than-

"No no! We'll go, we'll go!" She grabbed his hand with her free one, beginning to half march and half drag him toward the bakery; shoes clacking loudly on the cobbled pavement. She tried to avoid the gaze of others as she passed, almost attempting to hide her face behind the flowers. She was trying to keep her hands cool most of all, with emotions flaring like this she risked heating up too much and burning him, the flowers or both. This meant she could feel her face steaming so hot as to prompt recoil on touch. She dared to glance back to him over her shoulder and caught his eyes; she could see nothing but the usual smile and joyous light albeit with a twinge of confusion. Likely because she was leading the way quite so briskly, she willed herself to slow walking side by side with him, back to focusing on the flowers.

As she did so, still holding his hand quite tightly (her thumb overlapped his but their fingers weren't intertwined), he began to talk again. "Yeah I thought they were nice, I'm glad you like them so much. There weren't too many of them so I wanted to make sure you could see them, they're purple like you."

It was a simple statement that she usually wouldn't blink twice at but now it felt emotionally charged, like he was looking for things she'd enjoy in his everyday life. "Y-You're so naïve, don't pull up flowers for me again, it's not good for them. We'll just go see them together next time." He'd called the flowers pretty before and now he'd compared them to her fur, it was a roundabout way of calling her pretty but it stuck in Blaze's mind like a tack in her foot.

"Oh, alright sure! I've seen a bunch of places I'm sure you'd like… then again, this is your dimension… you've probably seen them all already right?" At the twinge of disappointment in his realisation her head whipped straight to him.

"No I'm sure I'd love it regardless, don't worry about whether or not I've seen anything it'll be a new experience seeing it with you." She almost stumbled over the word love but forced herself to say it, she was feeling a lot of brand new complex emotions quite suddenly. All of their prior actions were being recontextualized in her mind, from the days they'd slept together in crisis city to the smallest of hugs and hand holds all the way to her own sacrifice. Each of these actions now appeared more intimate in Blaze's eyes, a romantic context she hadn't even considered now plainly apparent.

"Oh alright well I found this cool mountain lake if you want to visit there tomorrow." Blaze felt her tail and ears shoot straight; she shot him a glance and was again met with that unreadable, regular, smile. She looked back to the flowers. This event that she was now certain he viewed as a date, and she couldn't help but do so too, wasn't even over yet he was already asking her on another? For the first time in her life she was feeling slow, Silver had completely slipped the rug from beneath her and showing an interest she had never seen before. Suddenly she felt him stop, interrupting her train of thought, his right hand reached out and touched her forehead, recoiling a little at the heat before pressing into it; "You're burning up quite a lot Blaze, are you certain you're alright? I know when you get sick the fever can be rather intense."

They were two buildings away from the bakery, Blaze let herself stop and turned to him; keeping hold of his right hand. "I'm fine Silver, I just… I didn't think you cared so much about today and I wasn't expecting the flowers. I'm fine I just wasn't prepared for all of this, I need to sort out some feelings."

"Well of course, every day with you is important to me Blaze and I thought you might like the flowers but I didn't think you'd care this much. I'm glad I picked them! If you say you're okay then let's keep going." He was still so naïve, despite turning her into this boiling mess he was still the same Silver. She felt far too embarrassed to go into this bakery and order, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get the works out; let alone flowers in hand. They finished the journey, arriving outside the bakery, and Blaze quickly spotted a nearby bench.

She released their handhold, rummaging through her pockets and producing her purse. "Just get me something for lunch, a pastry with meat or something and tea if they sell it; just milk. Get whatever you want." She didn't have the energy to give intricate instructions right now, let alone with how new Silver was to purchasing… hopefully nothing would go wrong. She lowered herself onto the bench, setting the flowers down next to her; she took a deep breath and ran a hand down her face. This was fine, she could deal with this, they'd have lunch, go their separate ways and she could figure this all out. She kept her eyes glued to the pavement, the once cold metal bench already warmed beneath her. This had come completely out of the blue, they'd been going on outings like this ever since he'd arrived in her dimension… had they all been dates? What was happening? She could feel her body slowly cooling; she was almost over this, they could have a more serious conversation about this. It was quite sudden but, by what she was feeling in her chest and thinking to their past, this love was not unrequited. She picked the flowers back up, examining them. They were already beginning to wilt a little, she'd have to get them into water quite soon if she wanted them to last through tomorrow. As she picked up the flowers, however, attempting to focus, she could feel eyes shift to her once again. She was a monarch here; her actions well known, word of her and the flowers would spread let alone Silver. She could feel her temperature begin to rise again as Silver exited the bakery, foodstuffs hovering around him and purse in hand.

She set the flowers across her legs as he returned her purse, floating her a cup as well as a paper bag. "I'm not sure if it was expensive or not but they had tea and that's a pasty I think? It has chicken in it, that's for certain." She could certainly smell it, some pepper and cheese also.

"I'm sure it will be good Silver, thank you." She would sip the tea without worrying about the temperature, gently patting the bench next to her. He lowered himself, a similar bag and paper cup floating into his hands. Blaze sat the drink beneath her, she could feel the heat spreading once again but knew she would have to act now and make things clear. He opened his bag, producing what looked and smelt to be an apple muffin of sorts… it wasn't good nutrition but as she had expected, he seemed to enjoy sweet foods. She gently looped her right arm around him… not quite his waist but lower than his shoulders, "So, have you been feeling this way for a while? I didn't know you were… I didn't think you…"

He'd taken a bite and went to talk but seemingly remembering one of the things she'd taught him he swallowed first. "Feel what way Blaze?" Almost instinctively he copied her movement, wrapping an arm around her. The heat surged, she could smell the flowers beginning to cook in her lap, there hadn't been a moment of hesitation from him; not a blink.

She took a deep breath, "…Well, you brought me flowers and I didn't realise that you were… such a romantic sort. Old fashioned even."

At that Silver's face went from the dopey happiness of eating the apple muffin, the taste perhaps a little too much for him, to purest scarlet; ears pointing high into the air. "W-W-What? Romantic? I... the flowers?"

Blaze blinked twice, suddenly the heat within her was vanishing and a cold taking its place. "Yes, the flowers. The kind people bring on dates and give to their loved ones… it's a romantic thing."

Silver's eyes widened, she could feel him trembling against her; "I…I didn't know that flowers. Meant that, I just thought they were pretty and purple like you and-

"I see." She brought her hand back, looking down at the pasty. The heat had vanished and with it so had the hunger she had been feeling. Her breath slowed, she hadn't considered that this might be an option. Silver was from the future, a destroyed future of another world no less. It was always possible that he had no idea what this gesture meant, what any of his gestures might have meant. Now she was left with their history contextualised by romantic inclinations unreturned, a cold and empty feeling in her chest to replace the bubbling warmth she had been feeling. The flowers on her legs were no longer burning but a small smoke wisp billowed up from them.

And yet his hand was still lingering on her side, she turned to him with her brows furrowed only to find his eyes were closed; his redness remained across his face. "I-I guess I-I should… I want to?" He squeaked, still shaking quite a lot. "I-I didn't mean anything by the flowers but that d-doesn't mean I don't… uhm…" He was positively squirming now, feet crossing and uncrossing constantly. "I guess I… I think I would… I'm…"

She felt the warmth spread in her chest again, he was acting far more like she'd expected when he'd first gifted the flowers. He hadn't said anything of significance and yet there was already a blush on his face, he was struggling to meet her eyes and with every second word there was a shift based in a deeply set uncertainty. His left hand was on his knee with the right still coiled around her, it seemed to be taking the sum total of his will to maintain this loose grasp. Blaze could read him completely. She took a deep breath and returned her arm around him; this time around his waist. "If you're not ready to have this talk that's fine, we've… we've opened the door on this. We don't have to go through it yet if you're not prepared." She was taking the lead; yes this was far closer how she'd imagined things might go on those quiet nights. "After today a lot of new thoughts have been brought to the forefront of my mind, I think I would like to but there's no reason to rush this."

Silver seemed to have relaxed a little bit at that, taking a few breaths and a second to think; "I… I need to do some research, have I done things like this before? Like the flowers before? I-I mean if we were going to be like… together together, I-I'd have to do more right?"

"Well." Blaze nodded to the hand around her side. "Our relationship has always been closer than is typical. I'm not certain how much things would really change." She was still far from regular, redness to her cheeks and a heat still present, but she had calmed down enough to explain these things to him. "Bringing me flowers, while in some ways a step up, is generally a step down from the closeness we shared in that city. It's just more… blatant than past actions, I believe would be how to phrase it."

"R-Right… okay. Alright, I think I can do this." She felt the grip around her side tighten a little, there was less shaking but he was thoroughly reddened. "I-I'll get some books, I'll figure out what I should be doing a-and-

"You're doing fine Silver, if you want to research I won't stop you but this was… this was pretty good. You were romantic and sweet without even intending to be." Blaze took a sip of her tea; while she was enjoying this they couldn't let the food go cold. Soon she'd be back to her station, Gardon might scold her for being late as it was. She took a bite of the pasty, sipped some tea but it was clearly still a little too hot for him but he fought through it. She knew eyes were still upon them, but now that it was clearer how he felt she could relax slightly. She tried to make idle conversation, pry through the awkwardness; " So, you've been enjoying your time here then, visiting natural places. I suppose it's a nice change."

Silver nodded, only a little of his muffin left already; "I-I have been enjoying it, I think it's nice to see so many different coloured things; everything's so vibrant." A light had returned to his eyes, cutting through the embarrassment; "I think I love it here, there are so many happy people and of course you're here and we're back together and things are just… things are nice now."

"I'm glad," She smiled, having finished her meal. "We'll part ways, for now, I'm sure Gardon's worried, but I should have more time tomorrow. We could prepare and go to that lake if you wanted?"

"O-Of course! Yeah, there's tons of stuff up there I want you to see a-and you might know some other paths and… y-yeah sure!" His hand gently left her side as he finished the muffin, drink still in hand, hers retracted from his waist as she disposed of the remains in a nearby bin.

She nodded to him; "Well, same time and place tomor-

His hand had grasped hers, there was redness clear to his face but he was looking at the pavement. Fingers were interlocked; his thumb had snuck beneath hers. The light of his symbol pulsing was obvious, even in the daylight. "W-We didn't do much, so can-can I walk you back to the-

"Yes, yes of course!" The heat was back in full force, slightly melted flowers in her right hand and Silver holding her left. She couldn't help releasing an initial warmth through her palms, cringing slightly, but he fought through it as her hand quickly cool. They'd slowly make their way back to the castle; at least she wasn't alone in her embarrassment this time.


	5. First Rain

Blaze awoke early to the sound of drumming radiating throughout her room, the pitter-patter of rain as it bounced off the slates and blew against the windowpane. Initially, she remained in bed, enjoying the peaceful sound and headed toward the remaining hours of sleep she was due when a realisation struck her. She pulled back the covers, quickly garbed herself, and set out from her room. She cursed every passing second as she wound her way through the palace and out of its grounds. Her heels clacked on slippery cobbles, a great heat ran through her body; icy raindrops fizzling to steam as they made contact, leaving her dry. The sky was a dark grey; the sun couldn't be far from the horizon, yet she pushed on without a second for thought. Pushing through the empty heart of the small island town the rain grew torrential, island systems were typically hit harder by weather patterns, she was forced to cloak her entire body in orange flames to stave off the cold and wet. As she reached the beach she could just make out her destination, Marine's house, near the dock… but more importantly, she could see her target. Immediately she was wracked with worry.

A grey hedgehog was stood in the rain, staring to the sky. His quills were melting into one misshapen grey mass and his long fur drooped, were it not for the glowing teal symbols on his palms he'd be unrecognisable. "Silver!" She shot toward him, he looked to her; forehead quills flopping down and blocking his vision. As she got close it became clear he was smiling, but there was redness to his face and eyes. Without hesitation, she took his hand and began to spread her warmth across his body, flames began to lick away at the cold and wet.

He was shivering but through the cold, there was a light of wonder in his eyes, his voice came out as a stutter; "Th-This is rain, right? I-I still hadn't seen it, i-it was drumming on the roof and woke me up. M-Marine stayed asleep somehow."

Recognising the state of him she went from holding his hand to wrapping him in a warm embrace, she led his hands to her shoulders and bound her arms around his back; pushing into the cold and wetness, slowly eating it away. She gently spoke "I know it's new to you Silver but you can't just stand out here, you'll get hypothermia. Use your psychokinesis, make a barrier, do something at least. I'll try to warm you up"

She felt him push into her warmth; a blue light cloaked them as it shone overhead, the rain stopped falling on them. The downpour made crackling taps as it skipped off of his psychic wall, he was gradually returning to his normal state; his quills slowly rising and fur fluffing back upright starting from the centre of his chest. She looked to him and found his eyes were back to the sky, watching as the droplets bounced and rolled around his shield. There was a smile on his face, wide-mouthed and stretching his face to its utmost limits, but the redness to his eyes remained; tears were turning to steam as they rolled down his cheeks. "I-It's nice. It's a little loud, but it's so nice. This is meant to happen? This is normal? I'd heard about rain but I didn't realise it would… I thought I knew how it was." He lowered his head and pulled a hand away from her shoulder, dragging the dry glove across his face. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying. It's not like I'm upset or anything. I-I just-

"You're so naïve. It's nothing to be embarrassed about." Blaze gently stroked his back, shifting the heat across his body. "You've been through a lot, you're at peace now, it's fine. Just let it out." His arm lowered, now both wrapped around her shoulders, it was all fine until she felt his head press against hers; then a different heat started to well up in her chest.

"Thank you Blaze. I'd be lost without you, you know? I wouldn't be seeing stuff like this if you hadn't brought me here, i-it's all really pretty." He was dry but she wasn't ready to let go yet, and he certainly wasn't releasing. She lowered the warmth to a steady thrum, her hands resting on the puffed fur to the back of his neck. "I-I'm so glad to be with you!"

He was still crying but at least he wasn't embarrassed by it anymore, Blaze felt a low thrumming begin to emanate from her throat; sounding over the rainfall as she ran her fingers through his scruff. "I'm glad to have you too Silver, it's very different isn't it? There weren't any calming sounds like this in that city, silence was the best we could hope for but something would break it eventually. This will just end, nothing bad will come with it."

The rain had slowed and now beneath it's rumbling Blaze was close enough to hear his heartbeat, a low purr was still emanating from her. She felt his breathing slow to normal, he loosed a yawn; lifting his head from atop hers. "You're really warm Blaze. There was a peaceful noise in that city though, just one."

"Hm?" She looked up to him, his eyes were still red but the crying had completely stopped. There was a still a wide grin on his face, albeit much less crinkled and his quills had returned to their regularly spiked formation.

"That sound you're making," She felt that strange heat in her chest stretch up to her face. The purring continued, despite her growing embarrassment. "You don't make it too often but whenever you do it's really nice! I could never figure out why you do it."

Blaze felt her redness grow even further, her ears folded in on themselves; she stopped toying with his fur but kept her arms wrapped around him. "I don't do it around others so… I suppose I am glad you found it comforting." The rain completely petered out now, tapping its last against Silver's shield. "It's not something I really chose to do, it just kind of happens." The teal tint faded from their bodies as Silver's barrier vanished, for a moment they were in the dark but then a new light set upon them. With the clouds parting the pink-red sky was exposed, the clouds tearing further and further apart to reveal a gap of sunlight. It wasn't perfect, there was still a strong wind blowing, but it was a sight to behold, the colour melding and reflecting off of the ocean.

"Oh that's really pretty too, it's been a good morning." Silver rather bluntly put.

She turned back to him, looking to that wide-eyed smile once again. She found herself pulling closer again, just a little, and felt a smile grow on her own face. "Yes. Good morning Silver."


	6. Panic

An explosive crash echoed throughout the room and immediately Silver was awake. Instantly the room was awash in teal, the bed shot out from beneath him and pinned itself against the door; ornaments were crushed and gathered into a wrecking ball that floated before him as his golden eyes scanned for the opponent. Flinching at a flash of light outside his window Silver threw the orb, following the immediate smash wind and rain howled through the hole it left in its wake. Hearing the crash again Silver clenched his fist, the bedside table and lamp were pulled into the air; clattering against one another as they refused to fit comfortably in his grip. Silver jumped back from the window, back pressed against the far wall and his eyes locked on the shattered window. He now knew whatever was doing this wasn't in his room; it was outside. While he felt some immediate relief it was miniscule in comparison to the stress and tension surging through him, howling rain pelting his fur from the opening. Being outside meant it could be bigger, more dangerous than one person attacking him in his room. There was a jagged flash of light; cutting through the sky and a second later he heard another rumble. What were these attacks? Was it an energy beam? Was it causing earthquakes? Were the people okay? A thousand thoughts were streaming through his head, he feel his heart beat faster with each passing second.

A voice sounded from behind him, cutting over the rainfall and his thoughts. "Silver! Silver re-

"Blaze!" He threw the bed from the doorway, it shattered as it bounced along the ground, and immediately wrenched the door from its hinges, thrown into the room passed him; he shot out to help her… only to find her standing in his doorway; eyes closed and a hand to her head. "A-Are you okay, are you hurt?!" He was looking passed her, cyan light filled the hallway, the desk and lamp floated over their heads prepared to be used as a weapon. He was ready, if it had hurt Blaze that meant it must be strong, he couldn't let her get hurt any-

"Silver, look at me." His eyes snapped to her and both sets of golden eyes locked, she reached up and took his hands; slowly pulling him down to land. "Everything is fine. This is normal, are you okay?"

"Normal?" The teal began to fade from the room behind them but lingered in the hallway, his boots met with carpet. "But those noises and the lights, it's some kind of monster isn't it?" At the sound of another crash Silver flinched; eyes clamping shut and his gloves pulsing brightly. "H-How is that normal? Does it stop? D-Do we need to fight it to stop it?"

"Silver, Silver, look at me." His eyes pried open again, meeting with her pair. Her hands were holding his tightly, thumbs on the back of his palms and fingers wrapping around. "It's a weather, thunder and lightning, they're not common in this region but a storm has arrived, we don't need to fight it, it will leave with time. It's perfectly normal, you'll be safe as long as you are inside; now, more importantly, are you okay Silver?"

The energy faded almost completely, cabinet and lamp setting themselves on the ground. He flinched as another rumble sounded but forced his eyes back open; "I'm okay, I don't think I hurt myself. A-Are you okay?"

She sighed, finally closing her eyes and loosening her grip on his hands to hold more comfortably; "I am fine Silver, I was simply concerned that you weren't. Lightning can't hurt you in here, had you gone out there and flown around looking for it you would have been in more trouble. Lightning likes to root itself in metal." She indicated to his bracers, "Well you can't stay in the guest room, for tonight at least."

Realisation sparked in Silver's mind, he cringed but kept his gaze strong. "I'm sorry, it's… I kind of destroyed it. I panicked and… I-I'll try to fix it if you-

"It's fine Silver, it was going to be redecorated for you eventually regardless. Now we'll just move the date forward." There wasn't anger in her voice but there was certainly sharpness, a finality that told him not to argue despite how bad he felt. He only blinked when thunder struck this time.

"I'll help fix it, I-I'm sure my powers can be useful for that." Silver promised, "I guess I should set it up so I can sleep again, the mattress is probably okay. I'll see you in the morn-

He went to turn but Blaze's hands held tight, "Come with me. I'm not having you struggle in here, we'll just have to share my bed." She released his left hand but held tightly to the right, leading him down the hallway and toward her bedroom.

There was a conflict of emotions brewing within Silver, manifesting itself as a guilty frown painted in embarrassed red. He'd broken her things; he'd destroyed a room due to his misunderstanding and he'd certainly made trouble for her in the coming morning. She had to be angry, at least a little, in the dark it was hard to tell but her grip wasn't crushing; he was certain she was hiding it. But counteracting the guilt, over even the fear of this thunder and lightning, was a blossoming embarrassment. It wasn't as though they'd never shared the same bed before; in that city, they'd done so out of necessity to protect one another near every single time, but this was the first time since they'd reunited and it was over something so small in comparison to their own safety. She'd said this weather wasn't dangerous, that as long as they were inside they'd be untouched, he could sleep on the floor or even that broken bed but she was insisting they share. Was he being a burden? Undoubtedly, she'd been awakened and had to deal with his fear at some ungodly hour but, despite this, she had been stern yet gentle. She hadn't pounded his door and demanded he stop, she'd called out to him and took his hands; kindly eased him to the ground and talked him down.

He stumbled into her as she stopped, cringing as he pulled back; he'd been too deep in thought. "I-I'm sorry… n-not just for that. I woke you up and you're-

"Silver." Looking to her now, clearly readable the light of her open doorway, he could see her brows were furrowed but her ears weren't pinned back as was typical when she grew angry; her lips were formed into a small frown rather than a full-blown glower. "The fear you are feeling is completely understandable. Even if this situation is less dire than our past you are still my partner, I will look after you, as I know you will look after me. The only thing to be sorry for is this disrespect to our bond, your distress means far more to me than being awakened."

Before he could stumble over another apology she'd pulled him into the room, the door pulled shut behind him. Despite having been in the Sol dimension for a few weeks now, Blaze quickly acquiring the guest room so that he'd neither have to sleep rough or with Marine, he'd never actually been in here. It was certainly nice; her bed looked far too big for one person and had four tall wooden posts (one in each corner) for no clear reason. The floor was carpeted, the window large though the curtains were drawn; the rumble of thunder disturbed him but at least the flashes were obscured by the fabric and surrounding light. There was a giant bookshelf, lined with tomes he'd never even heard of, and a desk in the corner; the only part of the room with any mess. It was all quite normal but the colouration was… something. The guest room had been a mix of whites with purple accents but this room was entirely different; greys, silvers even, and teal covered everything from the walls to the duvet. All colours present on his person.

Looking to her he found she was turned away, her eyes fixed to a dresser in the right of the room, her ears pinned forward and a small redness visible on the edge of her muzzle. She dropped his hand, "It was like this before I remembered you, I just happen to like the colours. Nothing more, don't grow an ego."

Thunder rumbled in the long pause and prompted a small flinch, he really wasn't sure what to say or do; looking awkwardly to the bed… then to her, still looking away… then the walls. He could feel a heat on his face. "Sh-Should we just…?"

"Probably," She sighed, with a flick of a switch he became the only light source in the room, his teal glow bounced off the greys in the room and provided enough clarity to reach the bed. When lightning flashed the curtain wasn't enough to neutralise it; the accompanying bang caused his symbols to pulse bright as he raised his hands to his ears. She pulled back the covers, sat atop the bed and extended a hand to him. He took it, fingers to wrist, and lowered himself in beside her. He'd expected that they'd take opposite ends, the bed was huge after all, but as they pulled the covers around themselves he wasn't far from the edge but Blaze lay within elbows reach; turned away from him naturally. He was quite unsure where to put his hands, giant golden bracers still on his wrists, so he lay flat on back front; resting his hands beneath the covers on his legs in an attempt to block out the light. His back quills were uncomfortable, pushing down his back and slowly being crushed out of shape. This wasn't at all like their sleeping positions of prior days but he'd try to make it work.

Lightning struck outside; he braced for thunder, closing his eyes. Only seconds could have passed but it felt like minutes, he felt himself stop breathing. Only when he became certain it wouldn't happen did the thunder crack, the duvet shifted as his hands came up to his head. Blaze said his fear wasn't something to apologise for but he didn't want to keep her up, looking to her he now saw two great yellow disks looking back; he bit his tonged to stop himself apologising.

"Do you want to get closer?" She said it so bluntly, in the blue light her face incredibly difficult to read but there was a small smile on her face, ears slightly lowered.

He took a moment, thunder continued to rumble. "Y-Yeah." He turned onto his side, quills now hanging off the edge of the bed. He felt her move closer, arms wrapped around his ribs and hands pressed on his back that he returned by wrapping his right around her shoulder. She shifted a little, allowing his left hand to slip beneath her and meet with the right. It was immediately much warmer but this pose was far more memorable to Silver, the two had usually slept one of two ways; on opposite ends of whatever bed they shared or wrapped tightly around one another on the louder nights when monsters still stalked the streets. There was only one-

Silver felt a weight on his chest and the position was completed; Blaze had placed her head in his chest fur. He felt a smile grow on his face, pulling his arms in to hold her closer. His body relaxed, tenseness dissolving away. "Thank you Blaze."

"Mhm." She sounded through his fur, "It's just new to you Silver, but even if this doesn't pass I'll be here to help you. It's like how I was with heights."

Lightning sparked, thunder struck, but with her in his arms, he lay so much stiller. His brow furrowed, "You weren't afraid of heights in that city… were you? You were jumping off of skyscrapers, we flew together."

Her eyes flashed up at him, cutting through the blue light the pair were awash in. "No I wasn't, it was in this second life that I gained a fear of heights, but upon remembering you it vanished. I could fall from the highest mountains without a care as long as you're here with me, so I'll help you endure any storm."

Silver could feel his heart beating in his chest; his eyes clamped shut and arms drew in tight, pinning his partner to his chest. His chin lowered to rest atop her head. "I-I'm not letting you go again. Not now, not ever."

There must have been at least a minute of him just holding her to his chest, thunder and lightning sounded but prompted no reaction from him. Eventually, she spoke up; voice muffled in his chest. "As nice as this is Silver, I think… we might struggle to sleep like this."

Remembering that was the reason they were actually laying together Silver eased his grip, feeling quite embarrassed as she pulled away; even in this low light, he could tell she felt the same, ears pinned forward and refusing to meet his gaze. Blaze eventually yawned, fangs glinting in the teal as her mouth stretched wide, before her head lay more gently against his chest; she embraced the steady rise and fall. On reflex he to loosed a yawn too, his eyes dampened and he lowered his chin to top her forehead. "Goodnight Blaze."

"Goodnight Silver." Thunder would continue to sound but soon he'd be fast asleep, when held together like this he felt like nothing could be wrong; both back when they lay in those destroyed buildings and here.


	7. Psychokinetic Lover

"So, how long have you two been dating now?" Blaze felt her ears spike, her fur prickled down her back as she looked from her teacup to the café's surroundings and then finally to the source of the question; Amy. The pink hedgehog was pouring herself a fresh cup of tea, eyes still locked on the amethyst cat she was tormenting; she'd lured the princess in with talks of exploration and whether customs differed between their worlds but now her true intent had been revealed. Amy had an air of confidence that Blaze had never understood, she'd first encountered it through the hedgehog's pursuit of Sonic but following her reunion with Silver she'd seen it utilised in an alternate manner; playing cupid. Blaze quickly scanned their vicinity, they were in a rather small café in station square; one Amy had insisted was her favourite, while it was busy fortunately no eyes were upon them. Yet at least.

Looking back to Amy Blaze was confronted with a raised brow and an over-eager smile. The cat was growing redder by the second; she felt her hands shake, cursing internally she reached for her teacup and answered; "S-Six months."

"And you're still so embarrassed? Come on Blaze, you're halfway to your one year anniversary! You should be loud and proud about it by now." Blaze, thirst suddenly evaporating, pulled away from her teacup, clenching her fists in her lap. With a small sigh, the hedgehog continued; "He's the sun to your moon, the land to your sea; the prince to your princess for Pete's sake! Yet you're scared to admit how long you've been together? Are things going that badly?"

"N-No! It's going great!" The Princess cringed feeling herself shout; she closed her eyes in an attempt to ignore their surroundings as well as Amy's piercing eyes. "We're just… we're just not that public. I like to keep thing private, b-between Silver and I. I-It's our relationship after all."

"Aww but that's no fun!" Blaze cracked an eye open, she could feel the potential stares of the other café-goers piercing her armour. Amy was tapping against the table restlessly, lips pursed into a small frown. "I wanna know all the details! I'm sure there's a bunch of romantic stuff he's done with that power of his, I tried to give him some pointers when you two started. He was so embarrassed, I had to start calling him Pink instead."

"Pointers?" Blaze immediately regretted asking, a devilish smirk grew on the young girl's face before a sweet smile took its place.

Amy closed her eyes, swaying her forefingers as if conducting an orchestra. "Just the obvious things, little things I'm sure even he would have figured out; like upside down kisses and pulling you a little closer when you're sat beside one another. Blowing kisses and sending a little psychic spark for you to catch, rearranging the clouds to spell out messages for you; you know that sort of thing! Sweeping you off your feet, literally! All very rom-an-tic!"

The singsong tone that hung in that last word only furthered Blaze's embarrassment; her tail was now stiff against her back. "He hasn't done any of those ones yet."

Amy frowned for a moment before a bolt of realisation seemed to strike her. "Oh, he hasn't done any of those ones... yet? Yet, as in, you think he will? But he has done something, hasn't he? I was certain he'd just follow my advice, take things obvious step by obvious step, but oh my; is he more of a romantic than I thought?"

Blaze could feel sweat on her brow, Amy was smashing at her defences; the hedgehog's green eyes were pleading to be let in. "W-Well, he's not… he has done a lot with it; whether he knows the actions to be romantic or not is another matter." Amy let out a sound somewhere between the whistle of a kettle and giggling, Blaze scoped the rest of the café; now they were getting a couple of strange looks. "If you can stop shouting I… I'll tell you some of the things that we've done."

A toothy grin spread over Amy's face, she raised a gloved forefinger to her lips and leant in close to whisper; "Well if you're sure you're okay with it…" She was attempting to be nice but deep down there was a sparkle in her eyes that suggested she'd pursue these stories to the ends of the earth. "Start small and build up, I want a narrative."

Blaze wasn't sure she'd get through one story, let alone build some elaborate palace of romantic storytelling. She brought her hands back up to the table, wringing her wrists, brows furrowed in thought. "I… I suppose that means the first story should be from early in our relationship. But what I value and what you do are probably very different…"

"I'll be happy with anything as long as you found it romantic, don't think so hard about it." Amy's expression had toned down significantly, holding back that bombastic joy perhaps in anticipation. Blaze managed to force down the remainder of her tea, the heat inconsequential when compared to the burning she felt in her face.

Setting the cup atop saucer she gave it another moment's thought. It wasn't that she struggled to think of moments, far from it, it was finding moments she was comfortable discussing… let alone with Amy, let alone in such a public place. Blaze decided on a simple one, embarrassing for her but not so impassioned that she would struggle to tell the story. "Well… around a month into our relationship, following a return from this world, I got quite sick…"

* * *

I was bedridden with a fever, being from an alternate dimension my body was ill-prepared to handle the diseases of your world and so I had been confined to my room lest I spread the disease to the populous. I wasn't allowed visitors, Marine had been ordered to stay away on pain of losing her sailing privileges and even Gardon was keeping his distance; speaking through the door to signal a meal had arrived, asking how I was, before vanishing down the hallway. I'd slept from six in the evening till midday that day; my companions the books I struggled to read through the headache, the small flame I used as a reading light, long baths in the en-suite and the cold compress atop my head.

That changed when I heard a knock, not at my door but at my window. I slowly rose, dressed in my baggiest pyjamas and utilising my white duvet as a cloak, and waddled over to the window. I pulled back the curtains; recoiling at the sudden brightness. A voice came from the other side of the glass, "Oh geez Blaze, you're looking a little…" My eyes finally adjusted to the light and there he was, Silver was floating outside my window. There was a rucksack on his back and an wide smile on his face.

I cut him off before he could say anything he might regret, "Silver you shouldn't be here; you know I'm sick." A wave of embarrassment spread over me, I somehow hadn't considered this before; Silver had a far more direct route of reaching my bedroom… no one would have to know. I pulled my eyes away from his.

"But that's why I'm here; to help you get better." There was a genuine concern in his voice, audible even through the glass. "I brought you soup and some other little things, I'll look after you just like we used to each other."

"Silver; I'm not letting you pointlessly catch this flu. Go visit Marine, I'm sure she'll appreciate the company." I refused, going to close the curtains only for him to press against the window.

"But I'm from the dimension where you caught the disease so I should be immune right? I've probably already had it. Please Blaze I want to help you. We're together now, right? I should do more for you than I did for you before, not less." My hand loosened on the blinds, I knew it was a poor argument; he was from the future, the sickness could have evolved or mutated since it was the illness I had, but looking into those golden eyes I felt a weakness take hold. He'd gone to a lot of effort, Silver was still new to cooking back then and I was certain he'd never made soup before; I had no idea what else he could have packed. I fumbled with the latch before gently pushing open the two giant door like windows, without a moment of hesitation he flew in and embraced me; still floating so rather than simply wrap his arms around me his legs brushed my sides to. The covers around me shifted to accommodate him. "Thank you Blaze. I'll try my best not to get sick."

My head was still pounding, I felt myself burning up, but the embrace felt comfortable; I began to lean into his grasp. "I suppose I was beginning to feel a little isolated, thank you Silver." I was on the verge of purring when I felt the touch of a cool draft blow through the window, despite my fever, the weather chilled me to the core. He must have felt my shiver, landing and closing the window with a flick of his wrist; curtains left slightly ajar to maintain the light. The bag left his back with a hefty thunk, from the sound alone it was clear to me he'd far over prepared.

He began to rummage, "I think there's enough in here for four days… after that, I'd have to leave to-

"Silver," I sighed, waddling to the bed and sitting near its centre; replacing the compress atop my head and wrapping the duvet around me. "You can't stay trapped in here with me for three days, you're certain to get ill that way."

He shot up from his search, his honeypot eyes pushing into my own; "But Blaze-

I closed my eyes, averting the gaze, I was putting my foot down; "It is as much my job to keep you well as it is yours to help me while I'm sick, is it not? If you stay here and get sick I'm the one responsible." I tried not to look at him, knowing he'd continue to protest if I met his eye. I fought the silence for what felt like minutes, finally looking back to him only to find a small pout on his face; he'd resumed his search.

He sighed; "I guess…" I thought I'd ended it there but, truth be told, he would spend the next three days up there with me; I'd always drift off before I could chastise him into leaving. The collection of objects was vast, from giant flasks to sweets to library books to board games and all kinds of miscellaneous things. He said he'd packed enough for three days; it looked enough to last a month. "Are you hungry?"

I looked to the breakfast meal Gardon had left me, once warm oatmeal and honey I'd left to fully revert back to solid. "No, but I probably should eat."

He grabbed one of the flasks, popping the top and having a sniff. "Well, I've got chicken and leek, ham and pea and general vegetable. But if soup isn't-

"Silver whatever you've got there will be fine." I allowed myself to lie back, propping myself up against the backboard. He'd gone back to rummaging through the backpack, eyes wide with a twisted expression; worry clear in his face.

He scratched at his back quills, pulling away from the rucksack; "I… might have forgotten cutlery." He was back to rummaging, objects spreading from the floor to the air as he used his psychokinesis to aid in the search. Board games, toiletries, bowls, blankets and pillows flew through the air… but no cutlery. I looked to him, the bag now empty, his head was slumped and redness had overcome his muzzle. I turned to the spoon Gardon had supplied… sticking out of the oatmeal, sullied. "Y-Yep… I packed all this but forgot a spoon. I-It's not blended so it's not like you can just drink it… " He was clearly upset he'd made such a simple mistake, flask in hand and refusing to meet my eye.

That was until some sudden realisation overtook him, the redness dulled and a smile came over his face. Unscrewing the top he filled one of the tin bowls he'd brought and made his way over. As he sat down I immediately understood his plan, I turned away. "You can't be serious."

He blinked at that; "What? You know what I'm going to do?" He seemed surprised but it was far too obvious to me. He paused for a moment, "Well… you have to eat."

Embarrassment shuddered through me as aqua light entered my vision. I dared to look. My suspicions were confirmed; floating above his forefinger was a globule of steaming soup, tinted teal. I couldn't look him in the eye, my mouth slowly opened. I felt the heat enter my mouth, brushing past my teeth before gently lowering onto my tongue. It was maybe a little much but it did taste good, there was quite a lot of pepper to the soup with larger chunks of chicken and leek throughout. As I swallowed, a more gentle heat spread through my core; less pronounced and more comfortable than the heat my compress was combatting.

I finally looked to him; there was a dopey smile on his face, he was clearly unaware of the intimacy of the situation. I tried to act like I wasn't either; "Thank you Silver, it's very good."

That seemed to embarrass him far more than the act of feeding me, looking to the bowl and floating up another rough spoonful to hide his embarrassment behind. "Th-Thank you, do you want more?"

"W-We might as well finish what we've started." I opened my mouth again, acting a good patient I was quite careful not to bite down until the soup was released. I could gradually feel my strength return; with every bite I felt the ebbing pain of my headache eased. By the third mouthful, I was fully content eating from him, embarrassment had faded and comfort took its place; I could feel my smile growing and gentle purrs radiating between mouthfuls.

The meal finished, Silver floating the bowl somewhere it wouldn't be knocked over, I loosed a contented sigh, lowering myself to lie down properly. The purrs were still being loosed; I could feel a smile on my face matched by his. It was a realisation that pulled me from bliss, embarrassment burning far hotter in me than the fever or the soup. I gestured to the dry oatmeal. "Y-You could have just washed off this spoon instead, I could have fed myself."

His cheeks grew red, "Uh…I-I mean what we did was more fun though r-right?"

"M-More fun!?" I near shouted at him, using embarrassment to fuel confidence I began to tease. "Is my sickness a game now? Are we playing doctor?"

He flinched a little at that before responding, "You were making cute faces…" He wasn't meeting my gaze, "I…uh…I…Ugh…" He took his head in his hands, still sat at the foot of my bed. Though his hands I heard him mumble; "You make me not good with words. What I-I mean is I like it when you smile, i-it means I know I'm doing good and you smiled there in a way I don't know you would otherwise. I-It's not like I realised I could do that though, I-I didn't even know this place had a bathroom!" He was looking me in the eye again, embarrassment plain in his face. "I'm not used to us being like th-this yet, I don't really know what I'm doing but I know I should be making you smile."

I let that sit for a moment smiling to myself before gently kicking him from beneath the covers. "What else have you got to make me smile?"

* * *

"Aww," Amy cooed, hands clasped over her heart and a Cheshire grin on her face. "Did he get sick too?"

"Of course he did." Blaze could feel herself glowing far more comfortably, a small smile on her face. "I looked after him as well as I could; having spent so long away from my duties I couldn't stay with him as he had me but every evening I would leave the castle grounds and spend the…" The realisation of how open she was being hit, Blaze felt herself lock up slightly. "S-Spend the night. I remember being quite angry with him for the first day b-but by the evening it was gone."

That Cheshire grin flashed devilish for a moment; "Did you share a bed? You mentioned he brought pillows but there was only one bed in there, right?"

"H-He used my desk chair the first night but…" Blaze's fiddled with her teacup, "And when he was sick we… we certainly shared, yes."

Amy let out a bizarre sound, a mix of whooping and giggling and quickly released some words Blaze had zero chance of understanding. Immediately Blaze could feel the eyes upon them, conversations around them stopped dead as the hedgehog's legs kicking started kicking as she pounded on the table. "You two are so cute! I never thought he'd have the nerve to do that, he might not have understood; a-and him floating to your window, has he done that again? It's so romantic! His power's perfect for a tryst, you could be locked away in your tower but he could still reach you!" The hedgehog caught herself, reclining in her chair.

"You said you'd keep quiet." Blaze hissed, her ears lowered and brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Amy loud whispered, pouring them both a new cup of tea. "I kept it in while you talked at least, if you keep going then I won't have time to talk."

Blaze sighed, she knew she couldn't just walk out with a full cup there; she added the milk but took no sugar (Amy took three lumps) and began to think. "I'll do more but you need to promise me you won't do that again."

"I promise, I promise." She took a long sip of her tea before continuing to talk in her hushed town; "If that's the one you started with though I hope it wasn't your best. Only a month in and he flew to your window? You were even sharing a bed all the way back then, but you're embarrassed to say you've been together for six months? You should have shut down completely at that, fainted even."

"That's because it all happened in private." Blaze admitted, "P-Public stuff is far more embarrassing. If it's just me and Silver then I feel a lot more comfortable, like I can do... m-more than normal."

Amy's grin widened again, Blaze braced, fangs bared, but the onslaught never came. Instead, Amy rose; "I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

Looking to the hedgehog Blaze could tell she was struggling to keep her excitement internalised, a breather would probably do her some good. "No I am fine, thank you, Amy." It was a moment longer to decide the next event to share. There were of course events on the battlefield, sacrifices made for one another, but Amy clearly wanted things more typical to a relationship… the very things Blaze was terrified to talk about. Each story would have to be more romantic than the last, that'd be the only way to both keep Amy quiet and prevent her interruption. Blaze saw little choice. She would have to talk about their dates; a story immediately came to mind; a date Blaze herself had set up but he had completely co-opted with his powers.

Blaze almost jumped as Amy set her plate down, a square of millionaire's shortbread and a tiny fork. Sliding back into her seat the hedgehog had noticeably calmed down, cutting off a chunk of the shortbread for herself. "Have you picked the next?"

"I believe so…"

* * *

We were four months into our relationship at this point. The dates I set up with Silver usually have a natural twist, while both our past lives were spent in urban desolation in this lifetime only his was; he'd never known the rustling of leaves nor the colours of flowers as I had come to so casually accept in this life. Upon remembering our past lives my ability to appreciate nature was reinvigorated, I now understood a world without these things, so introducing Silver to them was high on my list of priorities. It was a late Summer night, I'd had a long day of governmental work and I needed him to help me unwind. A walk on the beach, a relatively simple date but the ocean was still so new to him.

It was a moonless night with the stars ever so rarely peeking out from behind a dense cloud barrier. That meant he was the only light around for miles. The ebb and flow of the waves sounded in my ears, I felt his hand in mine; my pinkie slipped between his middle and ring finger and thumb atop his, but it was the sight I truly adored. Our vicinity was cloaked in a calming colour, everything was cast in a darkened teal; it guided our steps and made us more than mere silhouettes; shadows stretching to the edge of the glow. It was a comfortable light, soft enough to sleep in but bright enough to see through.

He broke the silence between us, "Blaze?"

In his light, with only the sea to watch us, I felt content. My wall was down; I didn't feel the need to use words, "Hmm?"

"Is this all good enough, should I be doing more?" I could feel his golden band rubbing against my wrist as he awkwardly shifted, "Just… is this what you had planned?"

I stopped, looking to him. "Yes, why? Is it okay for you?"

"Y-Yeah! It's just… I feel like I should be doing more. I've tried to research what I should do, reading lots of books and watching movies from your world and mine, and I know what I want to do… but when it comes to doing it. I-It's much harder than thinking about it." Silver explained.

"You're so naïve. You did research?" I teased, fairly certain I understood. "I'm in no rush, I just want to relax after a long day. This is all still new to both of us, let these things come naturally; don't force yourself." I went to keep walking but felt his hand drop from mine, my step caught and I went to look back to him only to feel his arm wrap around me; hand a little above my waist.

He was looking ahead, cast in blue it was hard to tell whether he was blushing but by the crumpled smile on his face and jitters radiating from his body I could tell he was clearly embarrassed. "I-I'll just take some small steps then."

I gently took hold of his far shoulder, stepping in to rest my head against him. "That sounds wise." He was shivering despite the relative warmth of our surroundings, "Just one step at a time." We set off again; it was a little awkward for the first couple of steps; trying not to step on each other's toes in such close proximity but we soon we were walking normally. My head against his shoulder I couldn't help loosing a gentle purr, a first for a public place… albeit I still had not among the public. The gentle rolling of the sea, our closeness and the psychic light that guided my vision mixed together to form a feeling of true bliss.

I was so enraptured that I didn't notice what he was doing. My foot met with something bizarre, we seemed to be glowing far brighter than we had been and yet the light was being cast upon us rather than radiating from us. Looking to the ground I was met with only teal, the sound of waves had grown far louder. I quickly realised what had happened, we were standing on solidified water; we were walking on the sea. The waves were veering off as they came toward us, our surroundings went from teal to being aquamarine; the ripples of the water being reflected in the light cast.

"Well… I-I thought about doing this a while ago. I had to figure out if it would work, I got soaked a couple of times. Marine helped, she tested it mostly." Our footsteps crackled, we got some way out to sea before aligning to trace the rim of the beach; to still make our way back albeit it would take longer to do so. My heels clicked against the psychic floor, small sparks flying with every step. I wondered how far away we'd be seen; perhaps some ship would notice the ethereal glow on the water.

I leant against him a little more, feeling the band of my ponytail catch the crook of his neck. "It is nice to use these powers outside of combat but if you feel tired don't be afraid to go back, it is very beautiful Silver."

"I can keep this up for a while, don't worry." His voice was calmer now, perhaps focusing on the water was keeping him from worrying and reducing his embarassment.

I felt myself draw close to yawning, so content in our meandering upon the sea, my eyes closed and mouth was about to open when a drop of rain struck me in the centre of the forehead. Before I realised what had hit me the sky opened, heavy rainfall battered against the stilled waves. I looked up to Silver but he had become rather still, quite rigid in this posture. A couple of seconds must have passed before I called out to him, "Silver are you going to put up a barrier? Can you not do it at sea?"

It took a moment for Silver to react, shuddering suddenly as if awakening from a dream, but with a wave of his hand the psychic glow from the waters around us was concentrated, a dome hardened around us; its edge was a little close but perhaps that was due to our position. I allowed small flames begin to spread eating away at the rain the clung within our fur, teal light being broken by wisps of red and orange. He'd keep me dry as I'd keep him warm. Our pace had remained at a standstill, I felt Silver shift as he watched the water shatter and bounce against his barrier; the rhythm of rainfall filled my ears. His voice cut through it; "You'd think I'd be used to this by now, it's still all so wonderful."

I lifted my head from his shoulder, looking to him; face tinted a mix of orange and teal as he looked out into the dark. "Wonderful is the right word." I pulled closer again, closing my eyes and letting the sound wash over me. "Let's just take our time."

* * *

As Blaze's second story came to an end, feeling far less embarrassed having told a story that didn't involve being psychokinetically spoon fed, she took a sip of her tea. Glancing across to Amy she was met with a puzzled look, the hedgehog downed the sizable remainder of her shortbread in one bite before a rage entered her eyes; her brow deeply furrowed.

"That's it!? He didn't kiss you in the rain?" This time Amy caught herself, left fist clenched while the right gripped the table she pulled in close and began to loud whisper; "He said he did research but he didn't kiss you in the rain? What did he even watch?"

"K-Kissing in the rain?" Blaze was caught completely off guard, "We… I… I-Is that a thing people do?"

"Blaze you can't be serious… we have so many films to watch, we'll have to have a movie night." At that realisation a sparkle entered her eyes, "A double date! You can bring Silver, he can help me catch Sonic, and then we can all do some research as he called it. It'd be perfect!" Her whisper kept breaking into a shout.

"I still don't understand, kissing in the rain?" Blaze was frowning slightly, gripped by curiosity.

Amy leant back a little, "Well in lots of movies when a couple has been separated they'll run through the rain to reunite with a passionate kiss. It's a really common trope, but perhaps it just doesn't exist in your dimension… I'm sure he must have considered it though; you said he stalled when the rain started? Didn't put up a wall? How suspicious, how scandelous."

Blaze felt embarrassment flare, she lowered her teacup to the saucer and tried to look past Amy. "I doubt it, he was probably just caught off-guard. We hadn't even kissed back then…"

Amy had to scrape her jaw from the floor, "Four months in and you hadn't even…" But as her jaw realigned it quickly formed into a dastardly smirk, "But that means you had your first recently, doesn't it Blaze? In the past two months? You said you hadn't kissed back then, not that you haven't kissed yet."

Heart in her throat Blaze tried to speak, "T-T…Two weeks ago. We-

The hedgehog held up a forefinger to Blaze, the cat sealed her lips and braced for the oncoming storm. Amy was shaking, the fingers of her left hand cracking holes in the table. "It took you two five and a half months to have your first kiss?"

"W-Well neither of us had kissed anyone before… I-I was scared I'd make some mistake. I-It wasn't like I could practice." Blaze was quaking, her teeth ground; it was taking most of her focus not to catch alight.

The chunk of table Amy had been gripping snapped clean off, quickly realising what she'd done the hedgehog tried to hide the mass beneath herself; she took a sip of her tea to overcome the brief embarrassment… giving Blaze time to hang in anticipation. Finally, Amy spoke; the excited look had somewhat relaxed to a wily smirk, the spark was still plain in her eyes. "Well, you should have asked him to practice before you got together. That way you'd know if he was any good at it and get some practice in."

"W-We took half a year to kiss for the first time Amy, I hardly think asking before we were even together was a possibility…" Blaze massaged her brow, trying not to. "B-Besides…" Blaze immediately bit her tongue.

"Besides what?" The devilish smile had returned, "Did it go better than you thought? Oh! Who led? You might as well tell me the story at this point, I'll just keep asking for details you know." Amy weighed the teapot; evidently deciding it was too light and opting to pour for Blaze. "I don't even mind if his power comes into it… but is it upside down?" Amy cut herself off, "No no, you said he didn't take my advice. Just tell me the story; no more spoilers."

Blaze watched, burning yet frozen in place, unable to resist as Amy poured her the last cup of tea. The seating around them had cleared out completely; Blaze hadn't seen any of the staff leave the desk since Amy's first outburst. In this deep, could things get any worse? Regardless of whether it could Blaze could see no way out, Amy had a knack for pursuit; Blaze would only be delaying the inevitable, she'd be cornered at some social gathering or following the next prevented disaster and hounded. Blaze pointed to Amy, "No more after this, no more prying into our relationship after this,"

Amy pressed her hand atop her heart; "I, Amelia Rose, promise not to ask Blaze the Cat for stories regaling her relationship with Silver the Hedgehog for one year to this day."

Blaze thoroughly understood that wording; it shielded her from the hedgehog's prying but not Silver. She gave that a moment's thought but, in truth, she felt she had suffered enough while he had avoided this outing entirely. "I suppose that will do."

Amy leant in, feet kicking beneath the table.

* * *

The first leaves of autumn were beginning to fall, a chill swept through the southern island. As I previously mentioned I liked our dates to have a natural tinge, not just for him but as I have grown so used to more high society life I enjoy getting away from urban centres and into the countryside; an afternoon picnic among the leaves seemed a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, the trees on southern island, being palm trees, don't shed their leaves, at least not in the sought after red and brown autumn colours. There's a forest island further west, deciduous trees making up its majority, that would be spectacular at this time of year. The only problem was getting there. Marine would have offered her services but she always came with some… baggage, the racoon had sat in on a couple of our dates and her running commentary had proved rather distracting. This left the alternate, flying with Silver himself.

We were to meet at the pier, I'd arrived early naturally, it was around noon on Saturday, the tide was in and a layer of cloud hung overhead; the sun occasionally breaking through to brighten the oncoming cold season and reveal the orange sunset sky. Despite the hour and imperfect conditions, the beach was fairly active, perhaps the last big beach day before the end of the year. There was a gentle wind but knowing I would be flying with him fear held no domain over me. Lost in my thoughts, immersed in the scenery, I almost jumped in surprise as two cyan runes closed over my eyes. My tail twisted wildly behind me at the initial shock, I could hear him laughing; I'd let my guard down and he was taking full advantage. I felt the heat rise; placing my hands on his wrists I blindly called out, "Silver please, people are watching."

His hands released as he flitted over my head; now was smiling at me upside-down. Mere centimetres away but by the big goofy smile on his face the intimacy wasn't fazing him, that or as was more likely he didn't even notice. "You left yourself wide open, it's nice to see you relaxed. Good afternoon Blaze."

"Good afternoon Silver," I returned his smile but from the beach I could feel eyes upon us, I was certain I heard muttering just outside earshot. "I trust you're prepared?"

"I think so." He pulled a bag off his shoulders, weighty but not nearly as weighty as the one he'd brought when I was sick. "I managed to get some good fish, there were a lot of people selling these weird vegetables I'd never seen before… whatever a squash is, whatever a marrow is, so I gave them my best shot; are those autumn things?"

"Ahh, the farmer's market; yes. There should be a harvest festival soon to celebrate." Festivals were good in that, while they were work, it was work Silver could not only help with but being with him made the event far more enjoyable.

"Alright… um…" Silver paused for a moment, still floating before me. "Do you want me to pick you up or do you want to just hold hands or? We could really take any position."

I looked at the beach, a couple of people were looking in our direction but nothing significant. I fought through the embarrassment, reaching up and catching my hands behind his neck; pushing myself into his arms. "I-I'm fine like this, l-lets go above the clouds though." With him floating my head was around chest height; tufts of his fur pushing into mine.

His arms wrapped around my back, pulling me in a little closer. "A-Alright." The white before me was quickly cast blue, my feet left the pier and the early autumn wind was replaced by the wind of flight blowing against our fur. Pink clung to his face as it surely did to mine; I knew it not to be wind chill. He vanished from my vision for a moment as we broke through the clouds, almost on instinct I dropped my head into his chest; refusing to let go. I did yelp when we broke free of the cloud layer, not due to some sudden change in light so much as a shift in Silver's position. Without hesitation he'd gone from floating standing straight to floating on his back, if I wasn't already deep in his fur I would have been thrown there; pulling my head up I looked up at him; brows furrowed.

"What are you doing?" The smile was back on his face, arms gently held around me as a psychic glow ebbed from him; no longer coating me rather forming a small bubble around us. "We're going a little slow aren't we?"

"I figured this would be more comfortable right? This way you're freer to move, rather than things being stiff." There was nothing but honestly to his voice, "I mean, we could stand instead if you want to? Or I could put a layer over you if you're feeling tense?"

We were truly alone up here, as private as a bedroom, clouds obscuring the sea or what land lay beneath us. I felt a small burst of confidence, pulling myself up to loom above him. "Freer to move? And just where would I move up here Silver? Your body is the only place I can go." I flushed at my own wording.

The pinkness returned to his face, quills bristling with psychic energy, he was looking away. "I-I guess I didn't think that far through? I just didn't want to feel like I was restraining you. Th-That and it is pretty up here right? I don't think I've ever taken you this high."

My eyes wandered to the sky around us, I pushed myself up; hands now in his chest fur. The sky was clearer up here, as one would expect; sun hanging low in the orange turned sky, yet it was the sight of the clouds that truly caught my attention. If above us was a sky I knew then beneath us was a landscape like no other, populated by wisps of pink, orange and red. It was a naturally peaceful, relaxing sight; naturally shaped yet like nothing in nature I had ever experienced. Great fluffy masses passed one another, some colliding and fusing and mingling to make shapes of all descriptions; great orange rabbits tinted red, stars spreading and spiralling toward their inevitable separation.

Mountains, hills and valleys were formed of cloud; it was an ever-changing and completely alien landscape. I leaned close to him and reached down to the thick layer below, right hand trailing just outside his bubble and brushing through the water vapour. I couldn't help wondering whether anyone else had experienced this; people could fly within planes sure but to float so peacefully across the sky. There was nothing to see or hear us, lying body to body as we drifted across this wondrous landscape.

I clambered up his body, the shield protecting me from the wind; my tail coiled around him. Confidence was welling within me, bolstered by the privacy and intimacy of our situation. My hands reached his shoulders before embarrassment set in, I felt my face begin to burn. "Are you sure you didn't think this far ahead? Usually, when you're trying to be romantic, you plan ahead; it would be especially naïve of you to break that constancy."

His ears spiked up to their highest, his eyes flickered around beneath my gaze. "I-I mean… I-I can be pretty naïve right? I-It's not unthinkable. I-It's not like I know this any better than you, y-you planned today; not me."

"I suppose… this will come as a s-surprise then?" I'd said that but while I wasn't certain what I was doing I knew what I wanted to do. My head began to lower, eyes still wide; locking then unlocking then locking with his. He leant up a little; despite the heat I felt he was clearly the more nervous of us. I would have to lead, I sunk from my hands on his shoulders to my elbows; hands gripped near the base of his two giant quills. My eyes closed, even this close I had no idea what to do with my lips. I felt his nose push against mine, we were close; so close, I pulled back and turned my head; an eye opened for only a moment to better angle myself. He was very red, his eyes sealed shut; shudders coursed through his body. My eyes closed again, angle corrected I held my breath and leaned in.

Lips finally contacted, it took a moment to understand the feeling. I was far too tense to understand what I was doing, Chest to chest, a mess of limbs floating above the clouds; face-to-face. It was warm, wet and spread a comfort throughout my person that quickly overcame my embarrassment. It could have lasted a second, it could have lasted an hour; time wasn't of particular concern in the moment. His body turned from rigid to putty beneath me, head turned to deepen the kiss; arms enveloped around me as though they were always meant to be there, his heartbeat slowed in time with mine.

Being atop him I was the one to pull away, still inches from his face; his head in my hands, he'd tried to follow when I raised my head away but realising the kiss had finished full-blown embarrassment quickly returned; his arms went stiff, face exploded red and his golden eyes were clearly unfocused; "I-I… uhh…" He seemed to be laughing, clearly sweating quite a lot. "Th-That was… f-fun? N-No! W-Well it was but… I-I mean… i-it was g-good, I-I mean…" He seemed to regain some semblance of control, "…Th-Thank you?" But perhaps not as much control as he'd hoped.

I smiled down to him, "Y-You're welcome Silver, thank you for being a part of it."

He still wasn't in a particularly tactful state of mind, eyes focusing on me again he blurted out; "C-C-C…Can we do that again?"

* * *

Amy was leaning in, head resting on her fists; "So…" There was a singsong tone to her voice, "Go on, did ya?"

Blaze finished sipping her tea, "I promised to tell you the story of our first kiss, nothing more."

Amy's smile broadened, not as wild as it had once been but that air of razzing still shone through. She pointed to the cat, crushing a giggle to the best of her ability. "That's a yes."

Blaze's cup clattered against the plate, lowering quite a lot faster than she'd anticipated. "It was the end of the story, there will be no more as per our agreement."

Amy reclined, looking at the ceiling and released a contented sigh. "Well, it was worth it. I can't wait to tell you stories like this about Sonic, you two have certainly set a high bar. It's lucky I'm such a romantic; otherwise, we'd never stand a chance. I'm feeling competitive." Looking back down to Blaze, "I'll have him within the year, otherwise you can't tell me any more stories."

"S-Sure Amy." Blaze wasn't nearly as interested in competitive romance as the hedgehog but if it meant she could avoid this embarrassment again then she would fully embrace it. "I wish you the best of luck."

"I won't need it, now I'm more motivated than ever! Soon you'll see, this'll be a yearly event! Just think about it, as the others fall in love we can invite them; lead by example. It'll be perfect!" That was a little scarier but, Blaze supposed, it could be some time until Amy finally caught Sonic; by that time perhaps she'd finally feel confident in talking about her and Silver's relationship. It was moving slowly but surely moving.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Blaze tried to gently ease her down, "Perhaps eventually, but I won't rush my relationship for stories."

Amy's mischievous smile would return; "Of course not, one step at a time right? But I want to know about each and every step you take with Silver."


	8. Advice

"Sonic, you've helped my world in the past; for that, I trust and respect you but today I require aid with something less… typical." Upon being approached by Blaze, sat on the wing of the Tornado while Tails tinkered away, Sonic hadn't been sure why she was in his dimension and now he found himself only more bamboozled. Wasn't she meant to be protecting her dimension? It didn't sound like the sol emeralds had been stolen or her world was in peril, besides Silver was there with her now; he'd be able to handle it as well as Sonic could alongside her; probably even better... unless the threat required all three of them? The blue hedgehog did recognise there was no way she'd cross dimensions unannounced and unplanned unless the situation was urgent. The princess was normally blunt and to the point yet today she was struggling to meet his eyes; hesitation in her voice, "I require your advice on a… personal matter of great importance to me."

Refusing to let his confusion show he flashed a grin, "A personal matter? You had me worried I was gonna have to scramble Nega, well lay it on me! I'll give it my best shot!"

There was a long pause, Blaze's fists balled, Sonic's brow raised. She looked up to him, face forced into a bizarre contorted frown; fangs bared and cheeks pink, was it a look of embarrassment or rage? He had no idea but it was kinda terrifying. "How do you deal with… romantic feelings?"

The synapses in Sonic's mind failed to ignite for a moment, he stared blankly at her. Eventually those final two words processed. "What?! Wh-Why are you asking me about love?!" He had considered dropping from the wing but now the chances of that had reduced to zero, he brought his knees to his chest. Anything else, anything else would have been fine! Eggman Nega stole the Jewelled Sceptre? Sure. Captain Whiskers kidnapped Marine? Fine. Silver was having trouble with some fute- Wait Silver, yes Silver! Realisation struck Sonic, that was his out! The blue blur pointed down to Blaze; "Silver's in your dimension right now, isn't he? W-Why don't you just ask him?! H-He probably knows as much as I do!"

His green eyes bore down on Blaze, willing that she'd either vanish or the Tornado's engine would suddenly kick-start, shooting off with him in tow. The cat was looking away from him, growing only redder. She must have stood there for a full minute, completely silent. "I… I can't ask Silver about this. It needs… it needs to be someone else."

Sonic blinked at that. "Why can't you ask Silver?" Lines of heat were radiating from Blaze; she wasn't speaking and refused to meet his eyes. Sonic was perplexed; he'd only ever heard good things about their friendship, how well they could fight together and that, according to Amy at least, they brought out the best in one another. Amy'd spoken of how when Silver was around Blaze'd smile, that she'd drop all of her walls and speak freely; she'd walk hand in hand with him without a care. Silver too, around her he went from some lost soul awkwardly stumbling his way through life to far happier fella; relaxing and far more freely. How Sonic had seen it, and how he'd had their dynamic described, the two seemed to complete one another. It was upon that thought that a realisation hit him. "Oh…"

Blaze was gripping her arm, eyes shut; the glow to her cheeks had spread across her face, deepening from pink to red. "These feelings it's… it's Silver. I've been having… I've felt this way for a while but I don't know what to do. They started just after I remembered and well…" The princess released a sigh. "Cream is too young to ask about these things, Amy, while more knowledgeable… would go too far, I'm not sure I could discuss this seriously with her. You're older, you must have dealt with these feelings at some point… right?"

Sonic felt a heat on his face, he leaned back on the wing to get out of her vision and tried to skirt past that last question. "I don't know about me dealing with them, but I said I'd give it my best shot and I meant it! What do you wanna know?"

* * *

I want to know everything! When did you realise? How does it feel?" Amy was overjoyed, a giant smile on her face; hands clasped atop her heart. She had been minding her own business, getting groceries with nothing much planned for the day, when a golden opportunity landed in her lap. Now sat on a park bench, grocery bag dropped at her feet, she was sat next to a once Silver, now very pink, time traveller. A certain embarrassed hedgehog who had finally admitted to his feelings for a certain purple princess, a princess currently in this world and apparently seeking some kind of advice from a Blue hedgehog.

"Ehhehe…" He made a kind of sighing yet groaning sound, his eyes were glazed over; he was clearly trying his hardest to distract himself in their environment, focusing on the trees and the birds rather than daring to look at Amy. "W-Well r-recently it just kind of… hit me and now, when she's around I get this feeling in my chest? L-Like it might explode? She's really kind and strong and smart a-and pretty and I just…" His head dropped to his hands, giant quills hanging down. Through his hands, he mumbled, "I w-want to tell her but I'm terrified. I-I need advice and you're so open, y-you aren't scared to say you love Sonic so I thought…"

Amy smacked his back, administering rather overwhelming pats that shook his body; a manic smile on her face. "You've come to the right place! It's so nice to meet another romantic; finally, someone else wants to talk about these things. You just need a little confidence that's all, you've got to learn to speak your heart!"

The patting stopped, he sat himself up; hands pushing hard into his knees. "S-Speak my heart?"

"Right! Right! You've got to be blatant; you've got to be honest with yourself! That way you'll be honest to her." Amy began her lecture, overjoyed to have her first student. She'd thought it'd be Cream some in the far-flung future but this was perfect! "Every time I see Sonic I try to make my feelings clear, I hug him close and profess my love wherever and however possible. That way, when he finally gets around to admitting his feelings, he can do it with confidence; I'm being true to myself so that he can be true to himself and we can be true to each other." Amy was beaming through her explanation, eyes closed and gesticulating wildly. "In every dance, someone has to lead right? Who it is may change with time, but before that someone has to open their hand and ask the other; that's us Silver! You've got to hold her close, shower her in affection; she's already open to you, reach out and let her take your hand!"

Amy opened her eyes and was met with a wide smile her fellow hedgehog's face, still quite scarlet but it was a look of confidence and hope. "Yeah! I…" And then, as if some realisation had struck him the smile vanished; eyes went from sparkling to dull and mouth crumpled into a cringe. "I-I don't think I can do it like y-you do. The idea of hugging her out of nowhere, o-or just saying I love her out of nowhere is terrifying. I-I want to but I think I'd faint or mess it up or…" His eyes closed and expression became more neutral, breathing a sigh he continued; "I-I'd like to do it but I don't think I can, I'm not confident enough; I need to learn how to be confident like you are."

"Huh? Well, confidence just comes as second nature to me; I don't think that I can teach that. I love him so I tell him so. Is it that scary for you?" Amy stroked her chin, quickly landing on a conclusion; "I suppose I've known that I love Sonic for a while and I've been chasing him for a long time. You really should just be honest with her, be open and blunt, but if that's not going to happen cause you're shy… what hints have you dropped?"

"Hints? Umm…" His seating shifted, left leg crossing over his right; leaning back he started to feverishly pull at his chest fur. "Does being embarrassed c-count? I've been embarrassed around her like… a lot recently."

Amy groaned, throwing her vision to the sky; he was being completely useless, but then every rose must grow from the dirt up. She had her work cut out for her, but with time and patience… or strength and piko-piko, he'd get there eventually. "No Silver, it should be words or perhaps gifts; you can't just be embarrassed around her and expect love to bloom. If it were that easy Knuckles would be a master of romance, being embarrassed is fine but you need to actually act. They say actions speak louder than words, but some well placed-ones will linger in the mind forever while objects fade." The pink hedgehog, "Be more specific, what makes you love Blaze? How do you feel about her? You've only given basic terms like pretty and smart, speak from your heart."

Silvers eyes closed tightly, "G-Give me a moment." He took a deep breath through his nose; pinkness seemed to concentrate on his cheeks. Amy felt her grin grow, she wished she had a notepad or some kind of recording device, but at the same time just watching someone come to terms with their feelings. Anticipation built with every passing second.

* * *

Tails had long retired to his workshop; things were moving at a molasses pace and, for once in his life, Sonic was happy about that. It gave him time to think through his answers on this subject he was less than comfortable with. How long had passed, ten, twenty, maybe thirty minutes? The only question she'd asked was whether it was weird to have these emotions, to which he'd responded not really. He finally sat back up, looking down at her; Blaze's hand was over her face and she was vigorously massaging her forehead. He knew he should speak up, but he had no idea what to say. "Have you told him anything, given any hints?"

"No…I-I feel too embarrassed to do that. I'm also scared, in case… these feelings aren't reciprocated. I don't want to lose our partnership, I want it to grow stronger." Blaze's hand went to her arm, her gaze locked onto the runaway beneath them. It was weird seeing her like this, weirdly relatable to the blue hedgehog.

He rolled his eyes a little at that thought, pushing past it. "Well… you'll have to tell him eventually right? You can't hide this from him forever."

Her head snapped up to him, a burst of anger overtaking her embarrassment; "That's why I'm asking for your advice. If I knew how to do that I'd have done it already. How would you admit your feelings?"

"A-Alright alright, my bad." Sonic cringed away from her glare; now wishing he'd let silence reign over them he ducked back onto the wing. How would he confess his love? He'd never really considered it, "I've been avoiding those feelings for a long time…I-I'm not sure how you…" No, he had to try his best; he was helping a friend after all, even if it meant discussing emotions he'd rather push aside. "Well… I'd want to know for certain they liked me back before I'd even consider telling them. As for how to do that… I guess if I ran from them and they followed that would be a good sign."

Blaze paused for a moment at that before looking back to her feet, shaking her head. "Silver would follow regardless of whether he loves me, he'd be worried or think he'd done something wrong. Besides, running away from someone you care about seems… stupid, hurtful even."

"I suppose it is…" This conversation was giving him thoughts and he wasn't sure he liked them. He'd have to shift things back toward Silver. "Have you tried… uhh…" He scratched at his quills, he could have let the conversation die there but no; he'd forced it back open. "People write love letters… I think? You could do that?"

There was another silence, Sonic took his previous thought back; he'd like this to go far faster and be over with as soon as possible. He felt like he was swinging blindly and just hoping to arrive at the right answer; unsure if there even was a correct answer. Blaze shook her head again; "That feels… impersonal, I'd want to do it properly." She released a sigh, there was a tinge of frustration to her voice; "We're getting nowhere. Let's not talk about how I'd confess, I asked you how to deal with these feelings in the beginning, If I understand that then I'll be able to act more autonomously. How do you control them?"

"Oh, uhh…" He stifled an awkward laugh with a cough; his plan to turn things back toward her and Silver had utterly failed. "Run away from them? I try not to even think about those feelings."

"I see…" Blaze's hands had balled into fists again; he could see her ears had lowered. "That's not an option for me, I want to embrace them."

* * *

Now Amy's anticipation was turning to fear, how long could he hold his breath? He had gone from red to pink to purple to blue, any longer and he'd-

Silver finally released his breathe, panting; hands on his leg as he struggled. Amy initially assumed the worst but as his eyes finally opened confidence was completely renewed, that sparkle had returned to them; his colour shifted back to an embarrassed pink but he was smiling. "Alright… I think I've got something at least. I-I don't know if I'll say it right, but I'll give it a go." His eyes were locked forward, not looking to Amy but the world before him. She didn't speak, fearing she might smother the poor boy, trying to keep her smile small (failing) she nodded him to continue. "Blaze is th-the best. I trust her more than I trust anyone, I-I trust her more than I trust myself. She's so strong, not just fighting but she has a will to do what is right regardless of cost; she sacrifices far too much. I want to protect her despite knowing she's strong enough to protect herself. I know she's pyrokinetic but I want to keep her warm. I-I just want her to be happy more than anything else. She's so serious but when… when she smiles the world… i-it stops I guess is how to put it, nothing else matters? It's all I can focus on, her fangs poke out and… eugh…"

His head dropped to his hands, Amy's fist pounded on the arm of the bench; she had to push him here otherwise he'd never continue. She couldn't let this slip from her grip! "Come on! Get a grip! We were getting somewhere there; don't give up now! What else?"

"I lost her once, I couldn't stand to lose her then and I'd die if it happened again!" His head had risen, fists were clenched; the light lingered in his eyes but he was shaking like a leaf. It was weak but Amy was impressed, he'd caught a second wind! "I've lived life without her but, when I look back on it, it doesn't feel like I was living. There is no home without Blaze, I feel so much more confident when I'm by her side; like I could do anything… well, anything but… ehm…t-tell her how I..." He stumbled again but this time, on his own accord, shook his head and pushed through; "N-No one else even comes close, no number of people. I'd chose…". Suddenly a flinch entered his eyes, he turned to Amy for a moment before turning back to their environment; he closed his eyes and bit his lip before continuing but the sound he released was inaudible, less than a mumble.

"Eh? I couldn't hear that last bit, you'd what?" Amy couldn't help noticing something change on his face, were tears welling up in his eyes? They were sealed closed he was shaking, but as they opened her suspicion was confirmed; he dragged his wrist over them, metal bangle crashing into his temple with ever wipe.

"I'd chose her over the world, every time…I-I don't know if she'd like me saying that, but it's true." Silver managed to pull his arm away. Eyes still damp; he released a deep yet cracking breath, not meeting the pink hedgehog's grin.

Amy didn't understand why, that last statement had been as sincere as all the others, but something about those words triggered a joy much greater than those prior lines. It was a sense of elation, a strange sense of familiarity; as though things had come full circle, like placing the last piece in a jigsaw. It just felt right, completing even.

She pulled him into a headlock, beaming down at his flailing quills; "Just like I would Sonic! Every time, without a moment of hesitation! I knew you could do it!" He was still croaking, arms waving wildly and pushing against- Oh he couldn't breathe, he'd been breathing out when she grabbed him. Amy released Silver, the grey hedgehog immediately fell off the bench. As he panted on the ground Amy continued; "That was brilliant Silver! Now you just have to say it to her. Will that really be so hard?"

"Y-Yes! That was terrifying." Silver half shouted, slowly rising to his feet. "I could barely say that to you, trying to say it to Blaze would be hundreds of times harder."

Amy frowned at him. There was a pause, the steps of a plan forming in her head; if the prior tactic hadn't worked she'd have to get more nefarious. "Really? I was sure after you got it out once it'd be easy." She shrugged, eyes closed. "I guess you're right, you do need my confidence." A trap was laid.

"That's what I've been saying… but if you cant teach that I guess I'm stuck." He'd stepped straight into it. As he plopped down in his seat, head in his hands, Amy punched him in the shoulder; almost throwing him from the bench once more.

"So you're just giving up already? You just said you'd chose her over the world!" She frowned at him, teeth grit. "I knew you were embarrassed but I didn't think you were-

"N-No! I just mean I don't know what to do next, of course I'm not giving up!" Silver shouted, she could see the seriousness in his eyes but the smile hadn't returned to Amy's face but behind her frown was something more... mischievous.

She looked away from him, arms folded. "I'm not sure I believe you Silver. It seems to me like you're the type to promise a girl the world and deliver nothing. I don't think you're really embarrassed, I think you're talking up a big game with no intent to follow though. You can say all this to me, but not a single romantic word to her? Yeah right."

"Wh-What? Of course I'd do it if I could!" There was desperation in his voice but not quite enough for Amy's liking, she wanted him pushed one or two steps further, she kept her back to him; remaining silent. "I-I want to but I'm scared, I'll mess it up or I'll just collapse in front of her; that's not even considering whether she feels the same way."

She sighed to fake anger, turning back to cast him a glare; "Has that ever stopped me? Look at all I do for what little Sonic has returned me. Yet Blaze, who shows you more affection than she does anyone else, doesn't deserve to know you love her; let alone how grateful you are? You should have given that speech to her long before you even considered sharing it with me."

Amy looked away again, keeping the pout on her face. She heard him go to start talking before stopping as if catching himself. A sigh sounded; "I-I can't do that but…" Amy turned back, raising a brow. "M-Maybe I could do something smaller. Please, Amy, I need help with this."

He'd locked himself in now, Amy's plan had worked; it wasn't confidence but if this is what it took to get him on the track that led to it then so be it. She'd not been so open with Sonic, in the beginning, compared to now at least, a little push would do Silver some good clearly. Her frown flipped into a Cheshire grin, hands clasped before her chest. "Alright. Let's make a plan."

* * *

How long had it been? Was the sun close to setting? Could he go now? Thoughts of this sort were floating within Sonic's head while feelings of hunger racked his stomach. He was still sat atop the tornado's wing, much too scared to move lest the cat beneath him ask another question. Weighed down by the want to help a friend who so rarely talked about these things, being tortured by the nature of the conversation and any similarities to his own predicament. Blaze's blunt, negative, responses certainly weren't helping with the latter.

Finally, she spoke up again; "Is there a way to find out if these feelings are mutual?"

Sonic looked down to her, she'd finally stopped standing; Blaze sat on the tarmac legs crossed and chin in her hands. He cringed a little, he really was trying his best but… he really wasn't used to dealing with these emotions himself, let alone being forced to confront them. "I…" He sighed, finally admitting it; "Amy's my only real example and she's pretty forward. I don't think he'd act like that, would he? You said he'd follow you but would he… chase you?"

"Not unless I worried him," Blaze looked back up to the wing; "Amy's your only point of reference? Had I known that I'd have gone to Vanilla."

"Hey, that's…" Sonic flinched as he caught himself, his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. He breathed a sigh. "That's fair. I'm not very good with these emotions, I'm sorry you've wasted your time."

"That's been obvious since the start but I stayed here rather than leaving and dealing with them so… I'm no good with them either." Blaze met his eyes, there wasn't a smile to her face but there was an understanding in them; no rage this time. "We should both probably get better at this."

"I mean…" Sonic swung his leg from the edge of the craft, he still loathed thinking about this at all but it was undeniable; a lot of his past actions weren't looking so hot. "Yeah, you're right. I should probably be better to her. But it's not like you're doing nearly as bad as me, you don't hide from him."

"Yes the bond between Silver and I is still as strong as ever, but if he were to return these feelings I'd be glad but I'm unsure how easily I'd accommodate them." Her ears had pressed down again, though this time forward instead of backward; scarlet colouration had fully returned to her face. She took her head in her hands. "I want to do this properly, but I've still no idea how. It's all so new to me."

"Well… wouldn't it be new to both of you?" Was that the first correct thing he'd said all day? Probably. Was it obvious? Undoubtedly. But there had to be something comforting there… right? "He'd probably be just as awkward as you about it, wouldn't he? At least you'd be embarrassed together, less pressure." He felt like he had to keep talking but had run out of words… well he hadn't, he just didn't want to keep going. Bringing a hand to his head he continued; "If Amy and I were to ever… I'd be alone in that." Yeah, he was stopping now, that was enough.

Blaze looked up, still embarrassed but once again her gaze lacked harshness and anger; "He would be embarrassed yes, albeit in different ways. I'm sure he'd try far too hard while I'd be scared to act as we had before let alone go further."

"Well… that sounds like it evens out." Sonic smirked, glad he'd finally given a good answer; he wasn't going to ruin that by running his mouth any further.

"Perhaps, but it's reliant on these feelings being returned. He's quite naïve, I don't know that he even thinks about these things." She shrugged, before frowning slightly; "You know you can come down right? I'm not going to kill you."

He half-laughed, "When you phrase it like that it sounds like you might but alright." Sonic finally dropped from the wing of the tornado, but he didn't meet the ground. No, he'd braced for impact, having half planned what next to say, only to feel himself freeze; a teal tint overcoming his vision. He went to gasp in shock only to find his jaw locked in place, eyes struggled to flicker beneath the strain; he knew what this was but where was-

He watched in horror as the tornado got further and further away; he was drifting backwards! "That's it! Reel him in Silver!" An all too familiar voice called out behind him. Sonic's legs flailed at a snail's pace, struggling to fight the psychic grip and regardless a good foot from the ground.

* * *

"This feels wrong." Amy's grey ally confessed, running a hand through his back quills. The cringe on his face was clear as he dragged Sonic through the air, kicking and failing to scream. "I thought this part would be easy but it's bringing back some… less stellar memories."

"Hey, hey, we have a deal." Amy tutted, arms already wide to catch Sonic. "Besides, do you really want Mr Scared of Love hanging around when you try to flirt?"

He choked on air, grip wavering on Sonic for a moment before retightening. He looked to her, muttering under his breath. "F-F-Flirt? W-When you say it like that it's so much scarier."

"Oh fine, call it a compliment ya wuss." Finally, the blue hedgehog rotated, to be honest, the face he'd been locked into wasn't the most attractive; mouth wide and eyes as beads, but Sonic was within her grasp! That was what mattered. Her arms locked around him, going limp as the psychic energy left her body before tensing as he was pulled into a rib-crushing hug. Her singsong tone rang out; "Nice of you to join us Sonic! I've got a new partner in crime, you'll never get away now!" Loosening her grip she shifted him; carrying him bridal style. She'd expected some resistance but, rather unusually, he simply lay in her grasp; refusing to meet her stare.

"Y-Yeah… hi Amy." This was bizarre but the pink hedgehog wasn't about to question it, she looked up to Silver; "Well go on, what're you waiting for?"

"Okay… okay… I can do this." Blaze hadn't moved from the runway, she was still sat right where she'd been; albeit with more of a confused look than when they'd arrived, staring back at the group over her shoulder. Redness clear on his face Silver began to make his way over, eyes like saucers and face a burning scarlet but he was clearly trying his best.

Beneath her Sonic tried to cut in; "What's happen-

She awkwardly bent a finger to his lips, "Shh shh shh, I wanna watch this!" For every five steps Silver took Amy took one forward, she wanted to be in earshot for this... but simultaneously getting too close would probably freak him out. Amy managed to halt herself a few paces from the aircraft; leaning against it with Sonic still ensnared... or well, at least normally she'd use that term. Sonic seemed rather content in her grasp for once, she shot him a look but still their emerald eyes refused to meet. "Is everything alright?"

"I-I'm fine." He grumbled, ears spiking up; "Amy please, what's happening."

The rose hedgehog watched as Silver extended a hand to Blaze, she took it and together they pulled her up. "I think he's going to take the first step, he's going to take lead!" Amy whisper-shouted.

Amy's senses heightened to their peak, Silver began; "Hey Blaze, sorry about that; Amy was insistent I help her and well... I-I hope I won't have to do it again. D-Did you get the advice you needed?"

The cat shook her head, "No but it should be fine, I've come to my own conclusions." She leaned in a little closer to him, peering at his face. "Are you okay Silver? You're looking quite red."

"A-Am I? Oh dear…" He was shaking, white quills waving like the last autumn leaf. "I feel fine, I-I think I know why I'm like this."

Her brows raised, "Oh? What is it?"

Amy leaned in but for a moment she couldn't hear anything, he went to speak and backed down at least twice; growing redder and redder. Blaze was looking more concerned with each passing moment; their hands were still touching. Finally, Amy heard it, the words they'd agreed on... well, more or less. He was struggling after all. "Y-Your smile is…" His head dropped, now both of his hands held hers. "I-It's really good! Th-The best I've ever seen! I-I can't get it out of my head."

The response was immediate, she went as red as him; both their eyes locked on the others shoes. From this far away Amy could just make out the words; "But I-I'm not smiling right now Silver…"

"I-I know, a-and don't force yourself to… b-but I thought you should know that. I-It's really… It's the best. I-I love i-i-it." They weren't even looking at each other to confirm it! Amy was feeling the strangest concoction of pride in her work, anger that they were both this useless and awe at watching this first step! Not to mention the warmth of holding Sonic in her arms so loosely, it was almost like he wanted to be there!

Blaze's free hand reached up, shaking (albeit much less than Silver) as it reached his cheek and pushed his head up. Eyes must have met, her ears had flattened forward and from this angle Amy could just make out one of those fangs he'd been talking about, "Th-Thank you, Silver. L-Let's go home… we can talk about this more if you want?"

"Y-Y-Yeah… okay." They seemed to fumble a little, one of his hands dropped from hers with the end result of his right and her left hands linked.

The pair turned back to their advisors, shouting their equivalents of goodbye before the cat drew a grey crystal from her cloak and in a burst of flame a portal opened before them. Amy took another step toward them; a wide smile on her face, "Good luck! See you both soon!"

Beneath her, she heard a sharp breath before Sonic shouted out, "You can do it!"

At that Blaze seemed to freeze for a moment, Silver looked to her, but she quickly shook the hesitation off. "Then you can too!" And with that, they vanished; portal quickly closing behind them.

The pink hedgehog looked down to blue, face twisted into a curious yet mischievous smile; "What was that about?"

There was a redness to his face she'd only caught sight of a couple times, "I-I'll tell you… e-eventually, probably."

Amy smiled, her grip tightening; "Take all the time you need, you're not going anywhere."

"A-Alright." Their eyes finally met again, he was looking up at her. After a pause, just hanging in her arms, he spoke. "I'm kind of hungry... do you want to go and-

"Yes, yes, yes!" Before he could even finish Amy had set off, racing to find somewhere to eat with the blue (going crimson) blur in her arms.


	9. Scars

Oh how wonderfully things had started but Blaze just had to ruin this for herself, didn't she? She was in her bedchamber, laid in bed, but she wasn't alone; teal light ate away at the darkness and tinted her room. Silver lay facing her, his peaceful yet dopey sleeping smile mere centimetres away. They'd only become a couple a few weeks ago but tonight he'd stayed much too late and she'd extended the offer. She watched how his fluffy chest gently rose and fell, oh how she'd love to place her head atop it and drift to sleep. But with a touch she'd thrown herself from rest's door to that of a guilt that held her consciousness captive, the nattering of anxious thoughts kept her from purring herself toward tomorrow. She was casting her hand across his body, gently reaching deep into his fur, and finding scars she could not recognise. Scars that, had she been present, he might not have today.

It had started on his back; she'd shifted her grasp to ease into him when fingers met with coarse and rocky islands in his sea of fur. She'd traced its entirety, a broken line that stretched from the peak of his right shoulder down to the centre of his waist; she could only imagine his attention had been turned elsewhere and some long claw had caught him. This revelation had led to a further search and soon she'd found more scars, most fully healed healing. Second, she'd found an indent to his fur, the type she'd have ignored before this, but plunging to the skin she'd found a dip to his skin; something had pierced him near the spine, an inch to the right and he would have died. Third, she'd uncovered a mark at his hip, where the fur had been thinner and the skin felt rough; perhaps it was a burn… be it by flame or some kind of chemical.

She had pulled her hands away, casting them over her own form; smooth fur and the nigh untouched skin of a princess. She scowled in disgust, she was a guardian and thus a combatant yes but her wounds were tended at the most immediate convenience; this body had no scars, none like that of the life she'd lived before certainly. In crisis city things had been terrible, scavenging for food and water just to live another day; fighting monsters for as long as she could remember, and with that had come injuries. She recalled, as a child, her right arm had been caught in the maw of one of those creatures; how she'd had two indents where its burning fangs had pierced flesh, they would never heal properly. Days later a flaming bird had set about killing her, diving and rending her shoulder with its horrid talons; leaving two lines where fur had refused to properly grow. Blaze exposed that shoulder, running her fingers over the wound; not a trace of it remained, lost literally to time. He hadn't let her fight for days after that, insisting she rest and demanding she take more than her share of supplies while he would forage for more. Blaze had refused, of course, countering that if he was struck down she'd be unable to protect him, he'd die; that they could only leave together. Naturally, they'd come to the begrudging compromise of suffering together; neither of them left their makeshift home for three full days. They starved but they starved together, she got a little better.

Blaze caught herself, was she angry over the good condition of her own body? It was foolishness, bizarre and sadistic foolishness, but despite that understanding, it still ate away at her. It was a manifestation of the difference between their second lives, a lonely repeat in hell and an isolated life of safety.

Her hands began to wander again, probing and pushing at his neck. His throat, the lower right side, her fingers hitched. She began to trace another line through his fur; this one couldn't be longer than a few inches; the flesh had risen following the laceration. Would she find them all? Certainly not tonight but she would eventually, had they matched those of their prior life she'd already know them. Blaze continued to push through that chest fur, feverishly searching for a specific mark. It took almost an hour of padding that one specific spot to accept to the fact it had been lost, fangs grit and were tears not welling before she could certainly felt them now. It had happened when they were so young… it'd been the first he'd taken for her, she could only have known him for a handful of days. Down the centre of his chest, there was supposed to be a line; a deep crevice hidden only by the thickness of his chest fur.

She could remember the moment as though it happened seconds ago. She couldn't have known him for more than a week back then but, despite that, when an Iblis hound caught them off guard, he'd foolishly stood before her. Even that dog, the weakest of Iblis spawn, was far too much for them back then; with a single swing of its horned head his chest had burst open in a spray of blood; he'd been thrown atop her. She'd grabbed him and ran, ran as far and as fast as she could. It'd been his first sacrifice and the first wound she'd, very poorly, cauterised. He didn't wake for days; she'd just gained her first friend and in the blink of an eye thought she'd lost him. When he finally awakened he'd had the gall to ask if she was okay, so naïve. She'd been angry, even that young she'd known what he did was stupid… but they'd both take blow after blow for the other from that day forward. Regardless of how much it worried the other, they knew in their position they'd make the same choice.

He'd taken new injuries and lost the ones he'd sustained defending her. Guilt ebbed through her mind with a feverish pulse, mixed and mired with feelings of sadness and anger. What had happened on those days he couldn't fight, when he was unable to rise; had anyone been there to tend his wounds? Had he tended to someone else's? Or had he suffered without her, were things the same he'd have surely died without her but as things were; did he have more scars this time? Thoughts flooded her mind; her hands up to his face, just wanting to hold him somewhere unharmed. Even though these new wounds and without her… he'd been the same. It wasn't as if he'd changed, he was the same naïve idiot who'd smile through that hell and talk about making things better; even if he didn't know how to. He hadn't turned cold from a life so unfair; instead, he'd remained warm. Stupidly trusting and unbelievably kind.

She'd expected death when she made her sacrifice, to traverse realities to some endless void of nothing and explode into flames; the monster killing her but sent somewhere it could never hurt him or anyone else again. Instead what had happened? She'd been reborn into a position of power, she'd been safe and comfortable yet isolate; memories had been stolen. Forces outside their control had severed their bond, she'd had no choice but to abandon him, but then why did these feelings remain?

"Blaze?" Her eyes snapped up, blurred by tears and tinted teal she could still make out his golden pupils. "Are you okay?"

"You're so naïve, asking me that in your state… "She closed her eyes, her whole body tensed; her hand still lay on his cheeks. She felt a pair of arms reach around her; his body pulled closer; when her eyes opened their noses were almost touching. She fought through; "Do you have more scars in this life than you did in the last?"

"Eh?" He blinked, thinking for a moment. "I don't know how many I have this time… a couple injuries stand out but I haven't really counted the marks."

She wasn't content with that. Her hands traced down from his face to his chest fur, tears were gathering on the pillow; "Thirty-six injuries left lasting scars when we were together; don't make me count the new ones myself."

Silver was still holding her close, he hesitated but eventually replied; "Most aren't as big but… I-I guess more, maybe by a few?" There it was. Her eyes clamped shut, she loosed a sharp breath. She felt the arms tighten around her, "But how many have you got? It has to be less than forty-two, right?"

He couldn't remember his own but of course, he remembered her scars. Her eyes remained closed. "Zero. Nothing has left a lasting mark."

There was no hesitance in his response; she could hear the joy in her voice. "Really? That's great!"

Her eyes opened wide, guilt and anger flowed over; "I sacrificed myself, I chose to give myself up, you should be the one untouched! You should have been safe! I wanted you safe…"

The tears were flowing too fast now, the world a mess of teal, she couldn't make out his face but she felt his forehead pressed against hers. "I-I wanted to make y-you safe, but I couldn't do it. The fact that you're not just alive but unharmed i-it… it's great. I'm so glad." Her eyes opened, he was crying too now but beneath his tears was that smile, that broad naïve smile. "You're the one who sealed Iblis, if either of us deserves to be unharmed it's you. I-It wasn't good the second time but with you safe, I'm so happy. I couldn't want anything more."

Fingers went from his chest fur to clasping wrapping behind his neck; she leant into his forehead. "You say that like you didn't try to seal it yourself… neither of us should have had to suffer that hell, let alone twice."

"Well… um… eheh…" She blinked through the tears, listening intently. He was stuttering; something embarrassing was coming. "W-Well I'm in heaven now a-and I don't plan to leave o-or let it leave me again." Yes, very embarrassing.

"You naïve dork." This hadn't fixed everything, of course, she'd be finding new scars for weeks and with them regret, but as she leant in to kiss him she knew eventually it would pass. Whether the scars matched or he was her Silver. The wound to show it may have vanished but he clearly still cared, he wouldn't have been here otherwise. Blaze would just have to stop him from getting any more.


	10. Meet The Father

Hat? Dusted and perfectly set between two washed and fluffed ears. Vest? Freshly washed and neatly buttoned, bright blue with shining golden loops. Sword? Polished, sharpened and sheathed, only to be used in the direst of circumstance yet to be on his person at all times. Gardon was stood before his bedroom's full-length mirror, scanning his personage for the slightest of inadequacies. Were his gloves clean; was there a hint of sleep in his eyes? No, he was fully prepared for this meeting, in body if not in mind.

Blaze wasn't one to call meetings; on the rare occasions, she had information to share she'd come straight to Gardon and deliver it with bluntness comparable to a closed fist. For her to call upon him for, as she put it, a formal introduction was most bizarre. Granted; the Princess had been more open as of recently, ever since her adventure in that alternate dimension, but her stance on formal traditions and practices hadn't changed. Who in the world could she want to introduce to him? For who had she pulled not only him but also herself away from her duties, merely so that they could meet him? He reached into his vest pocket, drawing forth the note she had written. No names were given for this person, the only details the letter gave was a time and place. Her exact wording had been; "I wish to formally introduce you to my partner…"

The Koala's eyes widened in realisation, he watched his reflection's jaw drop. No, it couldn't be; she'd been so isolated until recently! She was only fourteen, that was too young to be dating… wasn't it? And to call this person her partner, she couldn't have known whoever it was more than what… a handful of months? Yet to call someone partner, to arrange this kind of meeting, was it so wrong to assume? He could feel something swell within him, the paternal nature restrained by chains of loyalty and servitude; those bonds were to be strained today. Well, that was assuming he was correct about the meaning of partner… of course, there were other meanings, another guardian perhaps, someone to lessen the weight on her shoulders? But even then that implied the princess had someone she trusted head and shoulders above all others, for Blaze to find such a person so quickly was bizarre at best. Catching his expression in the mirror Gardon brought a hand to his forehead, pushing himself back to a reserved and professional posture. He focused himself on thoughts of prior generations, successful guardsmen and guardians; regardless of his fatherly position rank came first.

Returning the note to his pocket he drew forth his stopwatch, ten minutes remained; he should be early and await the princess and this partner. A last glance to the mirror, he wasn't as steeled as he'd like to be but this would have to suffice. He left his room, arms straight at his side and standing tall, maintaining a wide stride as he made his way through the palace. Bottom floor, the meeting room; it'd been an inch thick in dust but as he closed the door behind himself he was politely surprised; the table was newly polished.

Guiding his fingers over its varnished surface, an aged and wooden round table, he took in the room. It was painted sage with great brown corkboards, hung on the three back walls; matching pillows on each of the seats, four of the chairs were plainer while the fifth had been carved with excruciating precision; depicting the sol emeralds and the jewelled sceptre. That chair sat higher and weighed twice what the others did, naturally Blaze hated sitting in it; not only did it isolate her from the group but it was, in her own words, regardless of how important or ancient it might be it was unbelievably uncomfortable. He wondered if she'd sit in it today, she'd called this meeting after all.

That's right; this was the first meeting Blaze had initiated herself, things had to be perfect. Beady eyes scoured the surfaces, eyes to the floor he wandered the small room; ducking beneath chairs and scrutinising the underside of the table; all the while taking the utmost care to keep his outfit clean. Rising from his knees he took in the walls; it was too late to do any paintwork, and fortunately, there were no clear scuffs but he wasn't content with the straightness of the boards. He scrutinised all three; down to the millimetre, but from the last, an ugliness reared entered the frame. A spider, more than an inch long, ran out from beneath the edge of the board and sought sanctuary in the upper right corner of the room. The koala sighed, his attempts at perfection had exposed a flaw; a flaw that now hid well outside his reach.

Checking the underside of his shoes, making sure they were clean, Gardon lifted one of the standard chairs to the corner and stood atop it. He pulled off his left glove and turned it inside out; in one swift movement the creature was captured, sealed within its confines. There were no windows to this room, his hands were busied bundling the spider; he couldn't check his watch, nor could he pull back the chair. He'd have to be fast. He pushed through the door with his shoulder, attempting to keep his stride as he made for the closest exit… only to realise, if the princess were to come that way he'd have to apologise not only for his lateness but also for seeing this partner before the meeting. He turned on his heel; the gardens were further away but avoiding such a faux pas took president; he'd apologise regardless but he could stomach being a moment late if it meant the meeting ran uninterrupted.

Making his way out to the garden he made toward the first bush he could see, opening the glove to release the arachnid only for it to clamber onto his hand. Sighing he tried to release it with a flick of the wrist but the spider held fast, it took prying the bug loose with a leaf to finally be rid of it. The goal achieved he turned; ready to dawn his glove and speed walk back to the room when something caught his eye. Had his senses not been heightened by this tension he likely would not have noticed but out the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure… no… two figures making their way across the sky. He pushed back against the wall, attempting to use the outcropping of the castle roof to hide.

He'd only catch the pair for a moment longer, not much more than a second, but immediately he identified Blaze. Blaze who was afraid of heights; to the point that, as a child, she'd insisted her board her bedroom windows for fear she'd fall from them, now flew through the sky… in the arms of a bizarre teal form. He'd heard no cry for help but immediately Gardon grew worried, his hand reached to his sword's hilt. What kind of partner would ignore her fear of heights? That was, assuming the second figure truly was a partner and not some kind of threat. If he truly was nefarious, rather than foolish, then had Blaze already been bested? Again that assumed this figure had ill intent, rather than being stupid, but the thought sent a shudder down his spine. He pushed his way back into the castle; glove replaced and conviction in his step.

As he rounded the final corner he heard the heavy door of the meeting room shut; he had been too slow. Gardon took a moment to compose himself; releasing a sharp breath he straightened his vest and dusted his gloves. Was he overreacting? He was certain he was, he hadn't seen this person clearly let alone met them, but given his position, it was only natural to worry. His parental nature was forming an unsteady alliance with his loyalty; he had to face this person, friend or foe to Blaze, and uncover any sinister intentions. Gardon was duty bound to do what was best above all else.

He pushed open the door and, before he could even lay eyes upon the pair, bowed to his fullest and dropped to one knee; staring at the wooden floor. "I apologise for my lateness your majesty, a matter in the gardens required my attention. Please forgive me, Princess Blaze."

His head still lowered he heard a sigh; even in this formal meeting she clearly detested those titles. Before she could speak up though there was another voice, pubescent and a little loud, "Oh, should I call you stuff like that too? I think it'd be a little weird…" The voice was male, not particularly surly and certainly not adult; perhaps close to Blaze's age. His dutiful side loosened, he didn't sound like a threat… improper sure but then Gardon was rapidly finding himself the last bastion of traditions.

The princess' words followed, "Silver, nothing would bring me more displeasure, please don't." Silver; so that was the name of this partner. Gardon's immediate thought was pirate though not a second later he knew he was being too harsh on the boy, the royal guard hadn't even seen him properly yet.

"Oh okay, you make more sense to me as Blaze anyway. I'm still not really used to all this royal stuff." Silver responded, rather perplexing Gardon. Had Blaze not told him of her status until recently?

"Gardon please stand; you're not late, and please no more with the titles. I know I called a meeting but, in truth, it was simply to secure time and space. There is no need for formalities." There was an edge to her voice; making it clear Blaze wouldn't budge on this point. She had arranged this meeting; even if it meant breaking tradition he would try his hardest.

"Thank you Blaze." He slowly rose to stand straight, he tried to remain professional but… he felt himself pause as he sighted this Silver. Gardon was quite certain he was a hedgehog, a white-grey hedgehog; with bizarre teal symbols on his hands rather than being naturally cloaked the colour. His quills were unlike that of Sonic, five thin quills pointed from his forehead while two thick ones hung from the back of his head. The shear fluffiness of this figure was throwing him off, was he truly a hedgehog? He was wearing jewellery, four giant rings with more of that cyan colour, and boots. Gardon knew he couldn't simply stare at the boy, he extended a hand to him; "It is nice to make your acquaintance Silver, I hear you are Blaze's… partner?"

"Oh yeah, we're partners." That was all the explanation he gave. There was a wide smile on his face, bright amber eyes that seemed to radiate excitement and kindness… that was far more suspicious than even a neutral look, why was he so happy? The hedgehog took Gardon's hand; the shake was vigorous and incredibly informal, despite the koala's tight and professional grip Silver's seemed light. "It's nice to meet you Gardon, if you're Blaze's guard you must be really strong right?" His eyes seemed to light up suddenly, following them Gardon found the hedgehog looking at his sword. "Oh! Oh! Can you actually use that? That's amazing! I've never met a swordsman, most people seem to just punch stuff. Blaze is the strongest person I know, so you've got to be real strong to right?"

The hedgehog released Gardon's hand only for Blaze to chime in, placing a hand on his shoulder as if to pull him away. Such gentle physical contact was an oddity for the princess. "It's more of a ceremonial position Silver, I can't remember the last time Gardon had to fight."

"I keep my skills honed, just in case, but I concede that Blaze is far stronger then me." Gardon conceded as he overcame the rending of what little pride he had. "Thank you though, Silver. Prin- Blaze, shall we take our seats?"

"I suppose but Gardon I said to drop the formalities, we don't have assigned seats and I'm not sitting on that rickety thing." Blaze responded, drawing a regular chair and sitting upon it.

"Of course not, my apologies." It took everything within his person not to ask for forgiveness. He went to the opposite end of the table, the seat closest to that old chair, and pulled himself in. Looking across the table however Gardon's eyes would widen, his jaw would drop and his right hand would slip from the top of the table to rest on his sword hilt. The chair he had used to catch the spider was floating, coated in that teal glow he'd sighted before; it moved from the corner and with a small hop Silver sat atop it, the chair pulling itself into the table. Dangerously close to Blaze, were their chairs touching? If they weren't they couldn't be far from it.

"As you've just seen Silver is psychokinetic, he's able to manipulate objects and people with his mind. It's a powerful tool but he uses it too casually, rather naively." She shot Silver a look, brows furrowed… yet there was a small smile to her face and pinkness as well, what was that expression? Her ears had lowered forward, Gardon only ever seen them twist backward in anger. He hadn't seen this from Blaze before and, even though it exuded positivity, it troubled him.

He laughed a little under her stare; "It's hard to stop, using it for mundane things is just so fun." It was a tiny interaction, miniscule, but from it Gardon could expunge a lot. Most notably from Blaze, the way she acted around this hedgehog was quite different, but there was something beneath the surface. Blaze had always had trouble fitting in not only due to her heritage but the flames she could produce. Pyrokinesis. Was the why he was her partner, because he was like her? Had he won trust through their similarity? Did he plan to abuse that trust? "Do you want tea?"

He was torn from his thoughts by the question; looking down at the table he hadn't even noticed the tea set, a simple flask with some plastic mugs set next to a bag of biscuits. Realising he'd stalled he responded quickly, attempting to straighten his face. "Yes, please." He should have seen it coming but as the thermos rose into the air, wrapped in teal, and began to pour into a cup. He looked to Blaze only for her to gently nod. Bringing both hands back atop the table Gardon accepted the fact that without asking he wasn't going to get any answers. "So, when did you two meet?"

Despite its simplicity Silver's seemed to get a little lost in that question; Gardon could practically see the cogs turning in his head. Blaze too seemed to pause at it but quickly responded; "We were recently reunited after a long separation, we met as children."

That set off a number of red flags in Gardon's mind; if Blaze had truly lost a childhood friend he was certain he'd had known about it. Not only would he have likely seen this child but he also couldn't recall a time when Blaze could have made a friend only to be suddenly separated from them. "Really… I don't remember seeing a hedgehog before Sonic arrived, let alone a psychic one."

"It's… complicated, but essentially I visited Sonic's dimension before my more recent venture. It was then that I met Silver." Blaze exposited, "I only remembered him recently."

"I guess that's true, I never tried to put it into words before, are we not going to tell him about the future and Iblis?" Silver asked, seeming to overcome his delirium only to spout what sounded to be complete nonsense. What was Iblis? Could he also see the future?

Blaze turned to him and, as though he'd spoken sensibly, responded; "Well certainly not today, I think it might be a bit much to understand. We should probably keep that to ourselves, for now at least."

Gardon allowed himself to push in; "I will not pry if you are unwilling to disclose such matters, though I am surprised you'd been to Sonic's dimension before; without my knowledge and as a child no less." None of this made the slightest sense to Gardon, he resumed eying Silver as he poured the last of the tea; a cookie floated from the bag into the white hedgehog's grasp, taking an overly large bite he seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the flavour and slid to slouch in his seat. Psychic powers… could he do more than had been explained? Could he affect people's minds? He couldn't see teal on Blaze anywhere…

"As I said it's complicated. I'm sure when you're better acquainted we can have that conversation in full." Blaze waved away that conversation, taking a long sip of her tea. By the frown on her face and the way she'd put emphasis on certain words, it was clear that she'd noticed Gardon's distrust.

With that in mind the koala decided it was best to define the fact that confused and troubled him most; assuming there was no foul play afoot then Blaze clearly wanted him to trust this fellow. "Forgive me for being so blunt your Maj- Blaze but when you two say that you're partners, in what sense do you mean? Are you two involved…" It was outside his jurisdiction as guardian to ask this but fatherly instinct had long broken free from its chains; "…Romantically?"

The response was immediate, both of them were awash in red; eyes snapped from him briefly to each other and then as far from one another as possible. Silver seemed to choke a little and was now looking at the cookie in his hand, his excited chewing had halted; the smile was still on his face but it was incredibly shaky. Blaze's eyes had gone to the upper corner of the room, her hands held together she released a sharp sigh and spoke; "I-I… I'd say we're closer than friends but we don't have that kind of relationship… we don't…"

"Y-Yeah…" Silver finally spoke up, "We've fought together a lot and w-we look after each other but it's not like we…" His tongue seemed to get lost in his mouth; he made a sound like a stuttering sigh. "K-kiss and stuff."

"I see, I apologise for prying once more Blaze." This wasn't an emotional state he'd observed in Blaze before, and he hardly trusted this boy let alone knew him, but there was clearly something there they either weren't telling him or weren't telling each other. He'd never seen Blaze like this, not just this embarrassment but she said he was closer than a friend and in all of the little actions it showed. It would be wonderful if he weren't so worried. Gardon finally sipped his tea; it was a little sweet for his taste, the concoction of distrust and happiness tending more toward the latter.

To his surprise Blaze continued, pushing through the embarrassment. "There are things I can do with Silver I am incapable of on my own. A lot of my fears and anxieties are alleviated by or through his presence, for example, my fear of heights vanishes whenever I'm with him." And then, eyes locked with Gardon's own, she put extra emphasis on those next words; "I trust him more than anyone else." That stung a little but Gardon knew it was an attempt to further hammer home that he was to trust Silver, what she had said about heights gripped him slightly more, however; the idea that around Silver she grew more comfortable and confident struck a cord within the guardsman.

The hedgehog's eyes finally rose back to Gardon, "I'm basically lost without Blaze. She's a whole lot smarter and tougher than me, I feel a lot stronger when I'm with her! She's the best." It was far simpler than what she'd said but in its wake, there was a smile on the princess' face, fangs peeking out as if noticing she took a sip of her tea… but something bizarre happened. Blaze's tail was usually rather still but Gardon could see it, rather than hanging behind her it lay along the back of his seat.

That had instilled some confidence in the old guard, he finally felt comfortable enough to take a biscuit. "Well I'm glad to hear it, I may not understand all of this but it seems benign and I'm glad Blaze has made such a close ally. I trust you to guard one another to the fullest."

Between mouthfuls of his biscuit Silver quickly responded, "Of course, she's my partner after all! She doesn't really need me to look after her but if she does I'll be there. I'm just really happy I'm with her again, I wouldn't trade it for the world." The smile on Silver's face was wide, what had once been a confusing yet alien presence was slowly warming to Gardon. Well… not significantly, putting blind trust in him so soon would be a failure of his position, but he couldn't help feeling glad his little girl was growing closer to others. If she fully trusted this Silver then Gardon was sure he would with time. If they were dating, however, or if things ever came to it, he'd have to far better his manners; he could foresee an exhaustive talk in the hedgehog's future.


	11. 14 x 2 ?

Silver wasn't a difficult person to read, even as children it only took a glance to tell something was troubling him, but his tendency to put the world upon his shoulders made him rather inept about discussing his issues; minimizing them even if he was clearly torn up inside. He was quite the frowner, lips arching downward and brows descended, the quills on his forehead bending down with them. "I'm fine Blaze, it's nothing. Just a couple of bad thoughts, they'll pass."

She could frown too though, and she knew hers was far better practiced. It was late, the two were sat in the royal library; an unreadable number of books covered the walls and three floors, she was sat beside him on a low wooden table. He wasn't really reading as much as staring at books and replacing them every so often. The book sat on the table, a mildly hyperbolised recount of a well-known pirate, was one she knew would spark his interest on any other day but he seemed to keep forgetting that he was reading. Despite that he wasn't meeting her eyes, keeping his gaze focused on the page. She loosed a sigh to audibly show her annoyance; "You've been locking yourself in here for days Silver, you know I can only spend so much time here and Marine has hardly seen you; you know you can't hide these problems from me."

He flinched a little at that but didn't return her gaze, turning the page he continued; "I'm… just tired of playing with her is all." He was an awful liar too, Silver's ears weren't nearly as expressive as her own but she'd seen them flex up to their highest; a tell. Despite the lie, he continued; "I'll go see her tomorrow, I just… I need to focus on reading."

Blaze shook her head, this was a tough one; she couldn't tell what was eating away at him. They'd been reunited and remembered around four months ago and those four months had been some of the best they'd ever shared, introducing him to her world and spending almost every moment of their free time together; he'd settled so well into this world, found such wonder in nature, but that'd suddenly come to a screeching halt five days ago. She'd had to do some additional guardian work for two days and, upon her return, he'd been in this state. Was it that she'd left? She'd been spending time by his side for days now, despite his grumpiness, so that couldn't be the case. Marine might have done something but Silver had such a good rapport with the young Racoon, and for her childish antics to prompt this reaction would be bizarre.

Blaze watched as he flipped a page, psychokinetic energy glowing on the page as he gently gestured with his right hand; his left had been abandoned to lie flat on the table. She knew that she too wasn't the best at sharing her emotions; Silver was the only one she could comfortably confide in, but by being blunt perhaps she could finally get to the root of hand pressed over his, fingers pushing in to fill the gaps between his digits and her palm weighing atop his, immediately their eyes met. Realising he'd been caught his eyes sealed shut; she reopened them by cupping his cheek with her free hand, radiating a steady warmth. There was a hesitation in his eyes but they met hers eventually. "Silver I am your partner and when you suffer I suffer; I know you like to reduce your own issues but it is my job to help you with them as you help me with mine. Please Silver, let me in."

"I'm sorry for worrying you Blaze I… it's just…" He took a deep breath, "When you went away for those days I did a lot of thinking, you have this really big responsibility and so do I; we have a lot of people counting on us and… I just… I feel like I should be more mature to fit it?" That was all this was about? Maturity? He'd stopped playing with Marine because he thought it childish, locked himself away to study because he thought it more adult? Foolish, he was mistreating himself to put forth a guise of maturity; not become more mature. "Well it wasn't just you going away those days, we've lived for twenty-eight years across our lives and I while you're mature I feel like I kind of just..."

He was leaning into her palm but his eyes were drifting, she couldn't help smiling a little; now understanding the root of the issue and how simple it was. He wasn't hurt, he'd just thought far too hard, as he was apt to do. Granted, they were in an incredibly abnormal position, she hadn't considered it until now, but she could already pick apart the ways he was misconstruing their situation.

"You're so naïve. We might have lived for twenty-eight years but neither of us is twenty-eight, not in body or in mind. You've just…" How to phrase it, he was looking back at her with those honeypot eyes… she was distracted for a moment, realising the intimacy of their position. Shaking it off she finished, "You've just been fourteen twice. We've lived twenty-eight years, yes, but we've never reached adulthood. Don' worry yourself about maturity; if you're being immature I'll be sure to let you know. You're new to this peaceful life and I want you to enjoy it, as immaturely as you want to."

"Yeah, I-I guess… I do miss playing with Marine and just reading for fun. We've had clear nights but I've not been stargazing, I read about a couple new constellations to find…" He'd regained his smile for a moment only for it to halt its growth, reverting back to his prior nervous look. "But you're so mature Blaze; you're strong and you're wise and you treat your job with such amazing seriousness while I'm just messing around here, waiting for another lead rather than investigating." She felt herself warm up at the compliments but a chill washed over her at the thought of him leaving. She kept listening. "You're so good at being mature while I'm in struggling to fake it, we're the same age even if we're not twenty-eight; shouldn't I be better?"

She lowered her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, half immersed in his mane of chest fur. She gave it a moment of thought, "We have very different jobs, as difficult as mine is I at least know what each day will bring; you need to take breaks otherwise you'll get hurt." She took a moment longer, absentmindedly fiddling through his fur. "I think it's amazing that you are as you are, so naïve; to grow up as you have and maintain your kind heart and wonderment is incredible. No one would blame you for being overly serious all of the time but you aren't; and that's amazing to me, how you can laugh and smile so freely. There's a difference between being mature and being better, I think you're great the way you are but if you want to change that's fine; just don't force yourself over such a non-issue. Being mature isn't about ignoring what you enjoy; have fun, we'll both be true adults eventually."

He'd relaxed significantly, eyes meeting hers again she felt his hand shift; now palm to palm atop the desk. "It's still a little weird in my head but… alright, I guess I am just fourteen, but that means you are too. We should enjoy ourselves before life gets too serious, right? I'll only have fun as long as you are."

"Well, as long as you're by my side I'm sure I'll have a wonderful time." She gently smiled, finally pulling away from his shoulder. "I think the journey to adulthood will be quite strange. We've reached the cusp of puberty twice, progressing through it will be quite bizarre."

He blinked, "Huh? We're going somewhere? Where's puberty?" Blaze's eyes widened, scanning his face only to be met with a sincere look of confusion.

The Princess felt herself boil with embarrassment, releasing a rare chuckle out of a combination of bewilderment and surprise. She wasn't comfortable with how her own body was starting to change; let alone explaining how his would! "I-It's… not a place but a thing that w-will happen to you. Y-You'll see, try not to worry a-about it t-too much either."

He shrugged, closing the book; the tome began to float back to its shelf. "Oh okay. Just let me know if it's going wrong." He gripped her hand, beginning to lead, "Come on, the stars should be out!" She allowed herself to be pulled, trying to shake the thoughts from her head.


	12. Pyrokinetic Lover

**To make it clear, seeing as it's the first time I've done something of this sort, this is a continuation of the narrative in Psychokinetic Lover.**

* * *

"You know you can't hide behind that menu forever Silver. We've got so much catching up to do…" Silver knew he was trapped but that didn't stop him sinking deeper and deeper into his chair, menu obscuring his eyes and a good third of his quills. Sat opposite him Amy loosed a sigh, beginning to whine. "Come on, just one little story? I've heard so little since I made that deal with Blaze… I thought you'd at least tell me how things are going; you still owe me for all that advice, remember? All those tips on how to be more romantic?" She sang out that last word, saying it so boldly and clearly, Silver could feel himself growing redder by the second; he'd been in a relationship with Blaze for almost a year now, he'd grown so much more confident in his actions, yet facing Amy seemed to sap his composure. Was her shear assertiveness still so far beyond his? Evidently.

Silver took a deep breath, bringing the menu down to rest on the table; he'd made his decision minutes ago. "I think I'll just have the soup of the day."

Amy pulled back, rising from their booth, a smirk wide on her face. "If you're going to stall you could have at least done it well, the soup of the day's on a board by the counter; not on the menu. You start thinking of a story; I'll try not to take too long." She'd leave him with that Cheshire grin, he took his head in his hands. How Blaze had put up with this he had no idea, at least when they'd discussed tips it'd been in private!

He sat himself back upright, clenching his fists. He'd make his stand here, in this café; if Blaze had endured Amy's pestering then he could to! Sure she was stronger than him in a lot of ways, but when it came to being open he was better… right? Blaze was the sort to bottle her feelings while he, often naively as she put, tried his best to express them. He'd tried to take first steps in their relationship before Blaze; he'd been leading… even if he hadn't succeeded in really taking them. He shook his head, he had to do this; it was another step, with this his confidence would swell! When Blaze came back from her meeting with Amy her confidence had bloomed, if he could be open about his relationship then surely he'd be able to do more too! He'd never hesitate again, express his love to the fullest, he'd-

"Oh, where did Silver go? When did you get here Pink?" Amy had slid back into her seat, chortling to herself. "You're giving Knuckles a run for his money, but don't you worry; Blaze got pretty embarrassed too. Just a couple of stories will-

Silver's palms slapped down on the table, eyes locked to Amy's. He was very aware of the heat that masked his face, he could feel sweat on his brow; but he had to push hard, he had to grow confidence. "What did Blaze tell you? I-I can't just tell the same stories! What do you want to know? I'm prepared, I can do this!"

For a moment Amy seemed taken aback but not a second later there was a spark in her eyes, smile stretching even wider across her face; "Well the stories were about how romantic your powers could be and I'll admit that, while you didn't take my pointers, I was surprised by how well you did." That did admittedly relax Silver somewhat, he hadn't followed Amy's advice as her recommendations had seemed too forward and hearing them from Amy had further charged them with embarrassment. Perhaps one day he'd get that upside-down kiss though… he refocused on Amy, he had stories to tell. The pink hedgehog continued, "First she told me how you cared for her; sneaking through the window, how scandalous, and I heard you shared a bed? Multiple nights, consecutively?"

Amy had leaned in much too close wide smile reduced to a smirk, a spark in her eyes. Confusion overcame his embarrassment for a moment, he raised a brow; "Well it's not like we hadn't before that, it's not that big of a deal. Back in-

Now it was Amy's turn to smack the table, she stood; jaw dropped and eyes wide, releasing a sound only describable as a squeal. "You two were sleeping together before you were together!?" Her hands raised, she began to gesticulate wildly; "How are you two so shy? It makes no sense! You should be the most open and proud couple in the world, yet you couldn't even kiss her in the rain that night! It took you five months for a first kiss, really Silver? You set it up really well by the way, but five whole months?!"

That stung quite a lot, the confusion he'd felt vanished and a drive returned in its place; he rose, hands slamming the table once more, "I-It's not like I-I didn't want to kiss her! I-It's just…" He closed his eyes and balled his fists; "I love her so much and whenever I want to do something new i-it's like she stuns me, she's too pretty so I hesitate; I'm scared in case I mess up! After the first time it's been way easier! It's been three months since that kiss a-and I-I've been getting much better at doing it, ever since that first one, but I still can't help feeling so warm! My heart starts thumping; i-it's like the rest of the world vanishes when I go to kiss her. Sh-She's all that matters, in those moments and always! The closer I get the more I feel the-

Silver's spiel would be interrupted by the sound of clinking beneath him, looking to its origin he would sight a very embarrassed looking waitress; setting their tray down before immediately making herself scarce, almost running from the two hedgehogs. He looked to their surroundings; Amy had chosen a small café in the heart of Station Square for their catch up and he'd thought it relatively empty… until now. No fewer than ten sets of eyes were looking up at him, stares that ranged from anger at having a meal interrupted to those of mutual embarrassment. Silver threw himself back down to his seat, head in his hands; releasing a sound somewhere between a groan, a laugh and a sigh. He could feel the red heat radiating from his cheeks.

"Hey, buzz off! This is a private conversation, let him gush all he wants!" He heard Amy sit back down in her seat, felt a forceful hand pat the back of his quills. "You were doing so well too, Blaze was terrified of others hearing what she said; you really are the more confident one. Proclaiming your love like that is important! Let everyone hear it!"

His head crashed from his hands down against the table, not due to the pink hedgehog's (admittedly excessive) force but due to his still mustering embarrassment. "A-Amy please, g-give me a moment, I really didn't mean to s-shout like that."

The patting stopped, he heard Amy release a snort; "Well you can't take it back now; it seems you're a romantic deep down Pink, it's a good way to be! We're a couple of rose-tinted dreamers, in love with two fools too embarrassed to speak their hearts in public. I'm sure with time you'll match my confidence! Just you see."

"Uh… sure…" Silver highly doubted that but he'd long learned there was no point in arguing with the girl, besides; it was a nice thought. He raised himself, floating his soup over while Amy placed a very elaborate strawberry sundae before herself… confusion drew Silver from his embarrassment; "I thought we were having lunch?"

She'd already placed the spoon in her mouth, she made a positive hum; "Oh yes, I wanted something of equal sweetness to the stories, thank you for reminding me. Have you picked one yet?"

Crap, his mind hand gone blank! He scratched his chest fur, "Well… Blaze told you ones about my powers, so should I tell you some about hers? They can be r-romantic like mine."

Amy's eyes widened, her mouth hung slightly open; "I didn't really consider her powers, yours were so easy to scheme around, but… yes! That'd be perfect!" Her mouth reformed into a broad grin; "I'm already thinking of things she could do… but I don't want to spoil this! Go on, go on!"

"Uh… um…. G-Give me a moment, I'll pick a good one; I promise." He was pulling at his chest fur, free of tugs thanks to Blaze's intervention, mind mired as he trawled through the possibilities. One story did come to mind, forced to the forefront by Amy's prior mentioning of their first kiss. "I could tell you about the date that followed the first kiss?"

Amy leant in, scooping another spoonful of ice cream and smiling more softly, "Tell me whatever story you feel like Silver, as long as you found it romantic it'll do for me."

He stopped tugging his chest fur, setting his hands on the table. As he began to focus on telling a story he only grew redder. "Alright, I think you'll like this one…"

* * *

Blaze had picked out one of the larger untouched islands in her kingdom for that date; covered in these giant deciduous trees. She'd told me the island was special but to be honest, experiencing the sight of Autumn first hand for the first time, I was sure even the most basic of parks would have overfilled me with joy. We descended through the clouds; her still laying atop me though her hands had shifted back to my chest. She pointed out our destination, I twisted my head to look over my shoulder; our flight almost stopped entirely as my eyes turned to saucers. Despite floating far above it and a good hundred metres away I could still tell this island was special, from our position I couldn't see the ground as it was completely obscured by the multitude of coloured leaves.

Even in the lowlight of the cloudy afternoon the vivid colourations weren't lost on me, the outer rim of trees was brown but the deeper inland my eye was drawn the more vibrant the colouration became. Following brown was a pale yellow that eased a little brighter before transitioning into a light orange that slowly but surely became darker; finally came the crimson centrepiece of the island, a section smaller than the others yet by no means tiny. It was as though the island radiated autumn spirit, I finally looked back to Blaze; her eyes were on me, I could feel myself grinning. "Well?" She asked.

I turned back to it, continuing our decent. "Why is everything so pretty here? I'm never going to get used to this, it's all so amazing."

"I doubt you will, I'm glad you can experience this world now Silver." I could feel warmth flood from her voice, "I've seen it before but not with my memories intact and certainly not from this angle, it is a breath-taking sight. If only we'd come in daylight."

I shook my head, still smiling down at the sight. "Nah, this is great; big moons are a fall thing to right? Maybe the sky will clear. Where're we going to land?"

"Just aim toward the red, there's a further sight to behold." I looked up to her but she spoke no further, curiosity quickly overcame me; what kind of secret could this autumn wonderland hold?

"Alright, we're going to shift for landing." Her grasp shifted, arms wrapping behind my neck and beneath my quills… my mind flashed to our repeated lip lock, what could have only been minutes ago when I emerged from the daydream she was staring down at me quizzically… or was it knowingly? "R-Right, yes lets… okay." I eased us to a standing position, keeping my arms wrapped around Blaze's waist, and accelerated our descent. Soon I could hear the cacophony of branches, rustling in the strong sea wind; leaves broke from their bonds and spiralled passed us as we approached, welcoming us to their home. As we passed over the treetops birds shot out from underneath, singing their songs of surprise, I was only pulled from the amazing colour for a moment to weave us between their darting.

We passed over brown, yellow and Orange but when we came to red I realised what the further surprise was. The other layers of this autumn forest had been constructed of many trees while the red section was formed of a single giant tree; it's trunk reaching out above all others and having the thickness of at least twelve of its friends. It wasn't as though the island's regular trees had been thin either, they'd been some of the thickest and strongest I'd ever seen! The leaves were like giant hands; four to six long leaves that extended in clusters from the ends of branches.

I turned to approach side on, granting Blaze the ease to see without twisting her neck; "It's… It's huge…"

"The largest on all the known islands, no one knows how old it is, where it came from or even who planted it, but it is heralded as the heart of seasons. Only when the last leaf turns red has autumn reached its height, only when the leaves have been shed does winter begin. With the first bud bloom comes Spring, with the last wilted flower the midpoint of Summer." I could listen to her for hours; she'd planned this through so thoroughly. I'd read a lot about the history of her world but I'd never come across this! I rounded the giant trunk as we made our way toward the ground, it's bark a dark brown nearing black with weathered and aged marks across its entirety, just taking in the forest's atmosphere. The ground was as amazing as the treetops had been, here rather than conformity and separation between the autumn colours the leaves mingled and mixed on the ground to make great blotches and spiralling patterns.

I lowered Blaze to the ground first, our grip extended from holding each other close to hand in hand as I set her down to the crackling of leaves beneath her heels. I brought myself down before her, immediately kicking up some leaves; there had to be a good inch of them…. I looked to the ground, then back to Blaze, then back to the ground and then back to Blaze. "Is it okay if-

She smiled, rolling her eyes. "Go on, have fun."

I shot back up into the air before plunging back toward the ground; feet first, a rapturous crunch sounded as, upon contact, leaves flew up around me. Taking them in my ranged grasp, psychokinesis acting as the wind, I dragged the mix of golden colours and felt joy overflow as that rustling sound consumed my ears. As I toyed leaves would slip my grasp, raining back down toward us. Eventually, probably after a little too long, I stopped, looking back to her and feeling more than a little embarrassed. "I-It's really good here, thank you for bringing me."

"I'm glad you like it. The seasons are like flowers, beauty but for only a moment; enjoy autumn while it last." To be honest, I hadn't even considered that, I was just really enjoying playing around with some leaves? But she was right, this was the kind of thing that I couldn't experience all the time; she really had thought this out. She looked to the ground for a moment, staring at our elongated shadows; "It's going to be dark soon, I should probably start a fire."

I nodded, "The food would probably be better warm too. I'll set things up." I tried not to lose myself in the crunching of leaves as, selecting a place a stone's throw from the giant tree yet still some way from the dark orange treeline, I used my psychokinesis to clear a circle. Following this, finding some rocks and shed branches, I used my powers to construct a small bonfire; we'd set up fires of this sort when hiking many times. Blaze approached, taking a seat before the wood, and with a flick of her wrist the pyre was set alight; shedding a warm orange-red glow, kept small to leave the low hanging branches untouched. Approaching I started to rummage through the bag, drawing out the marrow wrapped in tinfoil, stuffed with pepper and rice, as well as fish and tomato atop a crusty bread. There was also a picnic blanket but I hadn't expected it to be so dark, with the fire we couldn't exactly set it on the ground. I hesitated for a moment, looking to her with blanket in hand. Without hesitation she took it from me and so dexterously threw it over our shoulders; pulling it closed around us thus swaddling us together. I leant against her a little, "F-First the kissing and now that, you're really good at reading my mind."

She gently hummed; I could feel warmth gently ebbing from both her and the fire before us. With a small gesture I set the foodstuffs to hover over the flames, just out the reach of their licking. Our shadows were slowly fading into the darkness, the blanket blocked the glow from my symbols and so the world was being cast orange. I felt her head move to top my shoulder, ponytail pushing into my quills. "I'm still not really comfortable using these flames outside of a crisis but when it's just us…while I wanted to show you this island there is something else I wanted to do tonight." She seemed to hesitate for a moment; due to her positioning I couldn't turn to her so I gently wrapped an arm around her. "You use your power so freely in public, and one day I might too, but for now I just want to share something to you."

I felt her shift slightly beneath the blanket, I looked into the crackling fire; unsure what she was about to do but thoroughly gripped by anticipation. She took a deep breath and suddenly the flames began to twist and shape, turning a brighter yellow, almost bursting for a moment, and from it wisps of flame too large to call embers broke free. The sun had finally fully set; clouds above blocked whatever potential moonlight would have filtered through the treeline. Embers surrounded us like docile fireflies, snuffing the instant they made contact with their environment. When I finally looked back to the fire, however, I saw what she intended to show me.

The bonfire had grown wider, I could tell the flames weren't moving naturally but it took a moment of blinking to recognise the shapes within it. There was an indent to the fire, almost like a cave, and within it the shape of a heart hung; glowing crimson against the surrounding soft yellow. The edges of the heart crackled, rippling out to stroke the edges of its hovel and slowly the colouration melded before completely swapping; outside crimson with a glowing yellow heart within. One of the wisps passed across my vision and I noticed it had changed, rather than being simple flames the yellow light had taken a form; that of a roughly rectangular shape, the pointed edges cut, it was a depiction of a sol emerald. I could feel her shaking slightly and tightened my grip, shaping flames was far harder than shaping psychokinetic energy; they never wanted to stay still and would constantly try to break their assigned form.

I cast my gaze across our surroundings, there were seven of them gently gliding through the air; rotating around the blaze. Suddenly the bonfire began to split, pieces of the crimson shell breaking away to leave only the golden heart. The flaming shards didn't just vanish however, rather they slowly ebbed from the burning pyre and took form; a circle with a line descending from its base. Immediately recognisable, it was the symbol on my palms. Seven of them, one by one, left the central flame; each headed for an individual Sol emerald, a depiction of Blaze.

Our representations collided in the air, the colours mixed and melded, and in the wake of the flames orange hearts pulsed and grew. Seven swelling orange hearts were orbiting a golden one; I felt her arm around my shoulder. I'd kept quiet but cloaked in her warmth, and basking in her light I couldn't help speaking. "It's wonderful Blaze, th-thank you."

The orange hearts began their approach on the golden one. I slowly floated the food down from above the fire, thoroughly reheated by her display. She didn't pluck anything from the sky, however, instead, I heard her speak "I'm sorry it took so long to do something like this. I'm still so apprehensive about using my powers in this way and it takes me a lot longer to plan than you."

The hearts reconvened, there was a burst of light, and then the fire was back to its original state; her body relaxed into mine. I leant my head against hers, quills rubbing her ears. "That was really hard and you picked such a great place, there's nothing to be sorry for. We're taking things one step at a time, right?"

"Yes, we are, but I've given it some thought." I felt her head pull away from mine; I turned to her and our eyes locked. "With today I'm going to take more steps, by telling you I'll be forced to hold myself to it." There was seriousness in her eyes; I felt her arms shift around me beneath the blanket. "I'm going to take initiative more often, I hope that's okay?"

My eyes widened; "Y-Yeah, sure! I think that-

And then, before I could finish and without a moment's hesitation, she leaned in and kissed me; the firelight growing brighter than it ever had before.

* * *

Steam could be seen on Silver's breath, there wasn't a patch of visible skin that wasn't boiling magenta. Despite this, however, there was a broad smile on the hedgehog's face, seemingly happy with the story he told. "And, well, that's it."

Amy circled her hand; gesturing for him to continue, sparkle in her eyes. "Go on! Go on! Go on! Come on Silver you can't stop there!"

"W-What? But that's where it finished… I mean, we ate after that but I thought the kiss was the romantic bit." Silver's brows had furrowed, eyes dropped to the rapidly cooling soup beneath him. "She'd kissed me, f-for … I-I… the fourth time that day?"

"And how was that kiss in the firelight? Details Silver! Details!" Amy seemed to be growing impatient, fingers rapping on the table as she leant closer and closer forward.

"Uhh… umm…" Silver, no longer telling this is part of a continuous story and suddenly painfully aware of his setting, stalled. When things were flowing fine, when the pieces were being set at his pace and in his mind, he'd been speaking without embarrassment… but now? How would he put it into words? He had enjoyed the kiss no doubt, it'd filled him with comfort and spread a warmth throughout his person; a warmth he was finding it impossible to verbally recreate. He hadn't counted them, he'd been far too distracted, but he'd enjoyed it down to the last millisecond; the mere thought of it made his heart beat faster and his legs start shaking. But how could he articulate that? Now he was thinking much too hard about it, this was the same sort of hesitation that kept him from acting with Blaze. "Umm… i-it was hot? L-Like the temperature! B-But I guess the other way t-too… eugh."

Amy huffed, lowering herself back into her chair; arms crossed and looking away with her eyes shut. "Honestly Silver; way to flub the climax! Don't pick a story if you can't finish it properly! The ending's supposed to be the best part, as lovely as what she did was; the kiss at the end of the story is supposed to be the most romantic part, you've really got to expand on it! Tell me how you felt, the thoughts running through your head and how your bodies intertwined!" Her tone was whiny; she'd dropped her elbows on the table, head in her hands, and was staring at him in an excessively judgemental way… it wasn't quite as harsh as the sort Blaze would give when he did something truly foolish but it still made him feel guilty. Amy continued; "Just tell me a story you can finish this time, alright? I want two more stories to make up for this disappointment."

Silver groaned, throwing his vision to the roof. "Two more? Why is me messing up worth twice what I ruined?"

"It's worth double because now I'll never get to experience that story in full, you built up something so great only to destroy it at the last moment. You're telling me two more because you got my hopes up! Besides, you know Blaze told me three; so don't you want to match her?" There was a teasing tone in her voice, even Silver could see he was being manipulated, but…

Knowing he didn't stand a chance arguing against Amy he lowered his vision back to her, there was a mischievous leer on her face… clearly she'd known she'd won from the start. "Alright, that's fine, j-just give me a moment to think of another."

The smile shrank to a grin as Amy took another spoonful of ice cream, Silver was much too focused to even touch his certainly lukewarm soup. Moments came to mind, one in particular he knew Amy would want to know about but he feared he'd mess that up like the last. He wanted to tell it… but he'd have to psyche himself up first. If he told it then it would be the last story he told her. His thoughts were interrupted when Amy sighed; "Come on Silver, I can't wait forever; my ice cream will melt… speaking of melting though you mentioned her warming you up a couple of times. I take it that happens often? That's pretty smooth, I'm surprised I didn't think it up; does she do that often?"

"Oh yeah, that's probably the thing she does most! She's really good at it, " At the mention of Blaze's shared body heat Silver's mind latched onto a thought and, without even really intending to, he began to tell a story.

* * *

Blaze doesn't feel temperature like most people; she can wander through tundra without the slightest of shivers and stride across deserts without breaking a sweat. As fluffy as I am I don't share the former trait with her, having grown up in a burning city I can handle the heat pretty well but a mild breeze will prickle my spines and leave me shaking. I'd only noticed it in the last couple of months, maybe something changed, but Blaze's bedroom is always freezing. We don't spend too much time up there, unusually it's just when I stay over after a spar or, as it happened a couple weeks ago when we start falling asleep in the library.

She had lead me up to her room and was carrying with her a thick tome of ancient prose about a prior king while I carried a newer book on the Coral Caves; an island I'd only been to a couple of times but really enjoyed. Blaze had insisted that I was far too tired to journey back to the beach and much too late for that regardless, as the door opened however chill swept out and plucked my drowsiness from me. Immediately a shiver ran down my spine. Opening a palm I sent a pulse of green-blue light into the room, gentler than turning on a proper light.

She turned to me, completely unfazed by the cold, "I'll change in the bathroom, make yourself comfortable." Right, changing, she had to do that. Embarrassment attempted to heat me up, engaging the chill in battle, but the only way I'd be warming up tonight was clear. I entered the room and immediately noticed one of her big double-door windows had been left open. Wandering over to close it my eyes caught the sky and of course I froze, like most Autumn skies it wasn't without clouds but every so often an almost full moon would emerge from behind them. The stars were wonderful too; Southern Island being an island doesn't have many ground lights to pollute the sky so when it's clear it's always wonderful. I'd been beneath that sky for seven months and yet it still pulled me in, even through my shivering.

I was pulled from the skyline by the feeling of a body leaning against mine and arm wrapped around me, my eyes met with a set of glowing amber ones. Blaze's hair was down, a sight I'd grown more accustomed to but I doubt I'll ever get over the change in her height when she lowers it and sheds her heels. She was dressed in a baggy magenta shirt and black pyjama bottoms, heavy tome in her free hand. "So this is comfortable is it?"

Looking back to the sky I could feel warmth ebb into my body from the points of contact; a response had come naturally to me and I didn't want to waste it. I leaned into her and tried to say something at least a little romantic? "It is now." Somehow I didn't even stutter but in the moment I had no idea if that was the right thing to say. The feeling of a warm head leaning against my shoulder told me that, at the very least, it wasn't wrong. My muscles were beginning to loosen, I could feel drowsiness creeping up on me. As the clouds passed obscured the moon I turned back to her; "You know, you keep it really cold in here."

She rolled her eyes and looked away, head leaving my shoulder; in the low light, I could see a blush on her face. "That would be intentional Silver. I did plan for today; sharing warmth with you is the easiest way to share my power with you. Should I heat up further? Is it uncomfortably cold? Perhaps I didn't think this through far enough…"

I flinched a little, the pieces slotted together in my mind; I thought I'd begun to overcome my denseness but evidently not. "N-No, it's fine; you're doing great, I guess I was just too oblivious again. I love snuggling with you I-I just didn't realise you were actively planning it." I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer still and melding into the heat.

Blaze's eyes met mine again; they were far more distracting than the emerging moon. "You bring me light so I'll gift you warmth." The heat was wearing deeper and deeper into me; I turned away from the skyline and rested my chin atop her head, my arms enveloped her and I felt hers gently wrap behind me. One hand was between my shoulder blades, the other closer to my waist. The warmth that fully enveloped me, a pocket defended from the cold of the room, saw to it that sleep was on the horizon. Beneath me I felt her shift, the sounds of a deep breath filled my ears and instinctively I yawned with her, groaning as my eyes squeezed shut. I don't understand why but for the longest time whenever she yawned, whether I could only hear or see it, I'd immediately release one too.

Finishing the yawn, sleepy tears in my eyes, I managed to pull away from the top of her head; the comfort slowly escaping from my chin. "You want to sleep?"

She squeezed closer for a moment before parting, "Yeah, come on." She began to lead me away, with a wave of my hand the window closed and the curtains with them; even in the mere moment we'd spend apart I could feel the cold beginning to reclaim me. Blaze slid beneath the covers but as I went to follow she furrowed her brow, I raised mine. "You're not wearing boots in bed Silver."

Sure enough, they were still on; I'd been far too distracted. I sheepishly bent down and slid them off, my rings hanging in place. I got in next to her, setting my book on her bedside table, and immediately she shifted her head into my chest. With the twist of a hand the covers tucked in around us. The heat began to flow into me again; I felt my smile grow wide as I loosely wrapped my arms around her back, light from my symbols being muffled by the duvet. Blaze returned the gesture, one arm snaking it's way to my scruff while the other held the base of my back. The warmth was good but I wanted more, my legs bundled against hers and I lowered my head to top hers once more.

The warmth was almost smothering, it surrounded me entirely, we shared yawn after yawn bundled together; it was almost worth breaking away to see her fangs but I was much too comfortable in her arms. Feeling myself begin to slip I called out; "Blaze?"

"Silver?" Her tired voice was adorable, a gentle almost mumble made further unrecognisable by her position within my chest fur.

With my tired stupor had come some degree of confidence, the closeness and the warmth only further amplifying it. "I want to keep sleeping like this, can I just stay here with you?"

She hesitated, for a moment I thought she might have drifted off. "Eventually this will be the norm, but for now I think Gardon would have a heart attack. He's worried enough about us being together, let alone sleeping in the same bed; if he knew about this I'm sure he'd be on edge." I felt her head shift a little; she'd turned so her cheek was to my chest rather than her pressing her full face into it, I shifted my chin to sit between her ears. "Let's just enjoy this warmth whenever we can."

"Alright, eventually then. It's a promise." I nuzzled my chin against the top of her head, pressing deeper into both her and the heat. "Goodnight Blaze."

Her purring grew slower, purrs strong enough that I could feel them shaking through her, "It's a promise. Goodnight Silver."

* * *

Silver was beaming; eyes closed as he confidently concluded his explanation; "So yeah, she's really good at using her warmth! That was a bigger example but usually, it's just little things, warming up when we're holding hands or hugging, but I think because she doesn't need to make a flame she's much more comfortable doing it in public. I hope she'll learn to show her flames more freely but it's great!"

When his eyes opened he was surprised at Amy's expression, her jaw had dropped and her eyes were eyes sparkling. "Silver… you're not even embarrassed, it was shorter than the last story but you're not even blushing. Why aren't you blushing, what was different this time?"

As if coming back to reality redness spread across his cheeks, "I-I guess I got carried away? I didn't even realise I'd started to tell a story before I'd already finished."

Amy's mouth closed, she tilted her head a little; brows furrowed, Silver could see gears turning in her head but he had no idea to what end. Scraping up the last spoonful of her sundae she spoke; "Alright, that was good enough. You don't need to do another one."

Silver was taken aback a little at that, trying to get a read on the pink hedgehog and completely failing. "What? But I thought I was meant to match Blaze, she told three right?"

"She did, but I'm impressed Silver. You've shouted publically about your love, so casually overcome your embarrassment, this will do. You've not even touched your soup, go on go on." She waved his questioning off, sundae now complete she pushed it toward the centre of the table; head resting in her right hand. Silver, still very confused, did as he was told; raising a spoonful of the soup to his mouth… only to be met with chunky and cold lentil with that awful soup skin on the top. He'd grown used to eating well but, Crisis city days still part of him, he could handle this. Swallowing the bile he began to eat only for Amy to begin talking again, "You know, I'm sure you'll get that kiss in the rain soon. You two can only go for so long before getting caught in it again, right?"

"Well…" At that, he turned a little pink, the story he'd thought of before entered his mind… but Amy had said she was fine with two stories. There was no pressure on him, feeling in control he took a deep breath. "I could tell you about that."

Amy's next action was incredibly bizarre to Silver, he heard the sound of crunching; her hands were digging into the table and shards of wood breaking away, but her face was kept in a gentle smile; eyes closed. "Just share what you want to share Silver, there's no pressure to tell a story or anything." She had to half shout to be heard over the rapidly splintering table.

A little distracted by Amy's show of force he waved his hand, psychokinetically lifting objects from the table lest it turn to dust beneath her. His mind wandering, not entirely focused, he began. "Well, it didn't exactly happen normally."

* * *

A week had passed since Blaze had told her stories, she was supposed to be guarding the Sol Emeralds directly today but in the twilight hours of the morning she'd come to Marine's hut and awakened me. The tide was rapidly receding, the sky above mired by thick clouds; pink and purple colouration streaking out from the horizon and colouring the grey sky. We'd been walking for a while now, the ramshackle house far in the distance, conversation had been scant and I could tell she was anxious. She wasn't looking at me, rather everywhere else; most often to her feet, occasionally to the sky and rarely to the sea to her immediate right. Her posture was normal but there was a small frown on her face, a pout almost.

Finally taking initiative I took her hand, fingers slipping between her digits and thumb sliding beneath hers. I felt warmth begin to radiate from her but she still wasn't looking me in the eye, I took another step closer to her. "Blaze what's wrong? Are you alright?"

She'd stopped walking and sighed a little, finally our eyes met; her ears were pinned forward and there was scarlet coloured her cheeks. "It's fine I'm just… waiting for something to happen. I was sure it would have started by now, there's something I want to do and it's just... it's taking a lot of focus. Soon people might show up and I'm sure I'll be too terrified to do it, as much as I want to."

"You're waiting for something? But what-

She turned to me and shifted our grip, her fingers now running up the length of my palm and mine up hers. She grasped my other hand in hers; eyes fixed to my boots, she took a moment to think over her words, warmth continued to spill over. "It's a surprise, please let's just wait a little longer and see if it happens. If it doesn't we can do it another time but… I wanted to do this as soon as possible. I don't know when the next opportunity will strike."

I felt myself blush, I had no idea what this could be but if she was struggling so much to do it then it was important to her and thus incredibly important to me. I brought my thumbs up and gently rubbed her hand, "I'll wait as long a-as we need to, don't worry." She was waiting for something, but she also wanted to do something? I didn't want to think about it too hard, it was supposed to be a surprise after all, but curiosity was eating away at me. Her eyes were still locked to the ground, the seconds were trickling by so much slower than they had been; with every second I could see the weight growing on her, glowing redder and redder. I looked to the beach around us for some indicator of what she was looking for, something to relieve her pressure, when it dawned on me. Was that something she was waiting for an action from me? Was I supposed to do something? But what…

My eyes were cast down to her shoes to now, sight obscured by our linked hands. All I could think was that she wanted me to kiss her; it couldn't be anything more than that could it? What more was there to do? Was there anything else I could possibly do? Was there some kind of position I was supposed to hold her in? Had I forgotten something so vital? Her feet were shuffling, was she trembling? I raised my head; she wasn't looking to my feet; rather to the ground on her right. I leaned in, moving my right hand to her shoulder; her eyes met with mine for a moment but she turned away. "No Silver, not yet, I'm still waiting for…" I pulled back, a little glum but at least she'd said not yet. I felt her left fist clench around my hand, heating up, a thought seemed to strike her as her eyes shot back to me. "Turn around and close your eyes."

"Wh-What?" There was seriousness in her eyes, cutting through the embarrassment spread across the rest of her face. I hesitated for a moment but eventually dropped her hand, whatever this was I trusted her completely and she clearly wanted to do it quite badly. "Alright, I promise." I turned away from the sea, eyes shut, and immediately I heard Blaze walking away… but not further up the beach, she was walking toward the sea. Soon the crashing of waves hid her footsteps, I have no idea how long I stood waiting there; surrounded by the scent and sound of the sea, a light wind blowing my quills. Eventually though something made me flinch, another of my senses had been touched… a drop of rain had flicked my nose. My eyes cracked open as more droplets began to fall but quickly closed my eyes again remembering the promise. Raising my hands a barrier formed overhead, protecting me from the pelting droplets. The rain was tumbling faster and faster, the sound of rain overcame the waves; quickly going from a light drizzle to a downpour.

That was when I heard her shout; "Silver, don't turn around yet, drop the barrier!" I didn't hesitate; dropping my arms rainwater began to rush over me. My quills cascaded down to top my eyelids and fur was quickly soaking. Soon there wasn't a dry patch on me; I felt cold begin to set in only for a warm hand to grasp my shoulder. Quite suddenly I was turned on my heel; my eyes opened wide just in time for a pair of lips to collide with mine. I couldn't see her for my fallen quills, I couldn't even tell if her eyes were open, but I could feel her, she was warm as always but this warmth was subdued; she wasn't evaporating water as she usually would! Her hands shifted, one chased around my side and up my back while the other reached from my shoulder; both met with my drooping back quills and pulled me; shifting my stunned position, my head was turned and with that turn our kiss was deepened. It was happening! Just as I'd researched, just as I failed to do, a kiss in the rain!

I fumbled to react, wrapping my right arm across the top of her back while the left her waist, but between her tugging and blindness, it was clear she was in control. This was different from our prior kisses; for Blaze to lead wasn't uncommon but as her hands ran through my quills and her body pulled closer I could tell this was going to be something else. This was new, but I loved it. But the moment I became certain of that I felt her tug on the end of my quills, my lips were snatched from hers; my eyes opened wide, I went to speak, and that's when it happened. With a tug on our lips met in a formation I was unfamiliar with, I went to close my mouth only to realise hers was slightly open too. She tugged my left quill, pulling my head down and tilting my mouth further into hers; to aid the movement my knees bent, my head was beneath hers. Surprise initially overtook me as something pushed passed my lips and then I remembered it, I'd seen this before; in those movies tongues would enter other people's mouths but I never could understand why until it finally happened. My hands shifted to her shoulder blades, trying to pull her in closer even though no space remained between us.

To describe the movements within my mouth is difficult, both due to the surprise as well as the rain overwhelming my senses, but I know for certain she led; her tongue taping mine before pulling back, I awkwardly raised mine to approach but Blaze was very much in control of this, both internally and externally, and frankly I had no problem with that. One of her hands released my back quills only to trace up to the ones obscuring my vision, my eye opened as she cleared my view but her eyes were closed tight; fur drooping down, uninhibited in the rain. I'd overcome the surprise but between her hands pulling through my quills, the sea salt smell and the drumming of rain across our bodies I was finding it hard to focus on one thing so I closed my eyes and just kept leaning in… until our teeth kind of bashed then I decided to just let keep control of this. I didn't care to time how much longer it lasted, her tongue exploring while I tried my best to contend with it, all I know is we stopped as the rain did; eyes wide and panting.

Our bodies were still close; she began to heat up; slowly drying our bodies. "This is what you wanted to do those months ago, right? I-I didn't know about kissing in the rain but Amy mentioned it and I wanted to make up for what we missed."

Only one of my eyes was really exposed, I was still panting; "Y-Yeah! Th-Tha… eheh… ehh… th-thank you!" I might have fallen were she not holding me by my quills. I was certainly making a lot of noises but not a lot of words were coming out.

She shifted and pushed my five front quills back; "Y-You're welcome. Th-Thank you for being a part of it, I-I'm sorry it took so long; I was sure it would rain today but when it didn't I had to boil the water myself. F-Force a reaction to make it rain."

The quills kept slicking back to flop over my eyes; I shifted my arms from her shoulder blades to around her waist. "I-I-I d-didn't expect a-all of it but...y-yeah I wanted to kiss you in the rain that day. I-I'm sorry I couldn't but I-I never w-would have done that well." I was such a stuttering idiot, she'd done something so cool with her powers and taken such initiative and here I was struggling to get words out. I steeled myself, crushing my hand behind her back; "C-Can we do it a-again?"

* * *

Silver had been far too caught up in his explanation, the fact he was meant to be having lunch with Amy had become totally secondary. His eyes had been closed through most of his unintentional storytelling; too caught up in remembering the moment… when he heard a loud bang though reality quickly returned. He opened his eyes only to find Amy wasn't there anymore… and neither was the table. Looking to the floor he found the pink hedgehog in what could only be described as a state of shock, the table had fallen with her and split into chunks. Was she laughing? It sounded like she was laughing. Silver had no idea what to do so he looked to their surroundings… everyone besides the wait staff had vanished while they were hiding behind the counter. Quite suddenly Silver understood his actions, he took his head in his hands; redness overcame him.

From the floor Amy managed to sound between breaths; "You can stop now Silver! That's enough, even for me!"


	13. Family

Blaze was no stranger to the bizarre; she'd been born in a far-flung future devastated by a lava demon only to be reborn a princess of an alternate dimension and make friends two hundred years in the past to her previous life, but this situation raised a countless number of questions. She'd been asked to babysit Cream… Vanilla had asked the burning princess and guardian of another dimension to look after a child for the day. Granted Blaze and Cream had a friendship, the young rabbit had been one of the first friends she made there, but had there really been no one else in Sonic's time willing to look after the girl?

She arrived through a dimensional gate, created of the purple and grey Sol emeralds she carried with her. She wasn't alone on this new venture; Silver passed through the gate behind her; scanning our surroundings, looking to the afternoon winter sky and taking a deep breath. "The air's different here, I didn't really notice that until I'd been to your dimension. I guess it's less salty than I've gotten used to, less sulphur here than the future." She raised a brow at him and he panicked, just a little, scratching at his quills and looking away; "N-Not that the air here is better, just different! The air in your dimension is great!"

She shook her head and took his hand, grasping palm to palm, and began to lead him up the hill-path to Vanilla's house. "You're so naïve, I'm simply surprised that was the first thing you noticed; it's nothing to apologise for. You've only met Cream in passing haven't you?"

He caught up to walk beside her, "Yeah, a handful of times. She seemed nice and she has one of those things with her all the time… not the wisps the…" He pushed two fingers to his head, his nose scrunched, clearly trying his hardest to remember.

"A chao, yes, Cheese." Blaze continued, cutting him off before he could crumple his face any further; "Cream is a very delicate soul, very emotional so we should probably do our best to please her; she's not like Marine so I doubt there will be any issues if we do. We'll see her to bed relatively early and await Vanilla, her mother, returning. I believe we're to remain for the rest of the day so one of us will probably have to cook, but you've been practising, haven't you?"

"Oh, uhh, a little? I think I'd be fine, we'll just need to see what Vanilla has in." He scratched his head, she knew he would undersell himself; "Vanilla, Cheese and Cream, that's a lot of food names isn't it? Is there a reason for that…?"

"…I don't believe there is, though perhaps it's a family tradition of sorts." They arrived at the house's gate; it was a small and cylindrical bungalow style house with wide yet stout red-tiled cone for a roof. The house looked cosy, a warmth and comfort radiating from the circular windows almost indescribable. The walls were painted a bright dandelion yellow; homely would be the only way to describe it. Blaze led, rapping on the home's wooden door. She hadn't informed them of Silver's appearance, a surprise for Cream that Blaze doubted Vanilla would object to, as well as someone to rely on should things go poorly. Blaze was the princess of a kingdom, defender of the Sol Emeralds, and yet she was feeling more anxious monitoring a single child than she had in months. Cream was only a year younger than Marine and yet she seemed so much more delicate, like a single mistake or disappointment could shatter her across the ground in a million tiny, crying, pieces.

As the door opened Blaze stood straight, alert with her feet close together but her stance wavered slightly at the sight. She was not met with Vanilla but some giant Crocodile, hunched double over in the small doorway. "Why hello there, you'd be the sitter ri- Eh? There's two of you?" The crocodile gestured between them with his gigantic forefinger before pulling himself back into the house, stubbing his long jaws against the doorframe. He roared into the house, "Vanilla! There are two of them, did you ask for two?!"

"As long as Blaze is there things should be fine dear." A far more recognisable, elderly yet delicate, voice sounded through the house.

"That would be me." Blaze introduced herself, gesturing to the hedgehog next to her; "And this is my partner Silver."

Her partner spoke up, "It's nice to meet you." A glance to Silver showed a sparkle in his eye as he looked up to the amphibian, it was clear to Blaze that he had never met anyone like this before… and to be fair to him Blaze herself hadn't met anyone like him either; her subjects were mostly koalas, far shorter than most inhabitants of this dimension let alone this person.

"Ahhh, partners, I can see you're very close even from here! A budding young love… I remember those days." With a gesture the crocodile, who was still yet to introduce himself, lead the way into the small house. Blaze couldn't help frowning, a red glow to her face. For a moment she couldn't tell what had given the impression … only to realise their hands were still tightly clasped; her thumb pushing down on his. Without hesitation she snatched the hand away, the redness now thoroughly coated her; a glance to Silver revealed a matching complexion though he refused to meet her gaze.

She gripped her hand, "…We should head in, Vanilla has somewhere to be; we can't dawdle." She made her way into the house, cleaning her shoes on the doormat.

"R-Right yeah. Got to help out." She heard him follow, stop, go back and clean his boots on the mat.

She arrived at the living room/dining room, a small wood fire crackled in the right corner of the room. Most of the furniture was wooden, the walls painted an eggshell green with what looked to be handmade pillows on a small corner couch as well as a bigger chair, assumedly for Vanilla. The floor was carpeted, before she could make any further analysis she was being hugged around the waist by a tiny rabbit. "Miss Blaze! It's so good to see you!"

She leant down, returning the hug; Cheese sat atop the girl's head. "Likewise Cream, how have you been doing?"

"I'm doing well! Mister Vector has been helping around the house; we've had lots of fun tea parties." She looked up to the crocodile, his giant jaws made him quite expressive. Right now he was wearing the cringing, looking away, expression of a man who had been through ten too many tea parties and was quite embarrassed of his situation.

Silver finally rounded through the doorway, Cream poking her head out from around Blaze's side. "Oh! Mister Silver! You're here too? Good afternoon! How is the future?" The Chao leapt from the top of her head, little wings beating, as it made its way over to Silver.

The hedgehog, having no idea what to do with a Chao, extended a hand out to it only for the little creature to float passed and begin to lose itself in his quills. "Good afternoon Cream, good… good afternoon Cheese. It's okay, it could be worse." While not a total lie the future was still far from fixed, no longer devastated by Iblis or Ifrit but devoid of life entirely; still it was kind of him to lie and spare the little girl's feelings; he had clearly been listening when she'd said to be gentle. As he reached up to pat the little Chao a fifth person entered the room, Vanilla with a tray of tea and some biscuits; Chocola latched to her arm.

"Hello Miss Vanilla, hopefully we are on time?" Blaze greeted, slightly curtsying through Cream's grasp.

"Good afternoon Blaze, you were perfectly prompt do not worry dear. And this is…?" The Vanilla looked to Silver who was looking from Cream to her mother and back, by his quizzical facial expression he was taking notice of the strong resemblance and finding himself quite confused.

Blaze gently coughed, getting his attention. His ears perked up, chao currently fumbling over the left. "Oh, sorry. I'm Silver, Blaze's partner, it's nice to meet you Van- Miss Vanilla."

"It is very nice to meet you Silver." The rabbit's honey eyes turned back to Blaze, "Dear I must say you've progressed quite astonishingly. When we first met you were afraid to accept help and refused to make friends, but now you have a boyfriend? How truly wonderful!"

"…We don't have the kind of partnership Miss Vanilla." She didn't dare look to Silver, feeling the heat rise to her face and certain it would to his. That was twice in the past five minutes, but all other terms either felt too removed or too intimate. To call him friend was to put him on the same level as Marine or Sonic, to call him companion made it seem as though she were the main article and to call him her significant other… well, that made it sound as though they were married. Even using the term best friend felt too weak.

"Ah, I'm sorry; but it's nice to see you've made a… partner then." Out the corner of her eye Blaze could see a broad, almost jeering, smile on that crocodile's face; asking to be knocked off. Plainly thinking they were in denial… well, he wasn't wrong but to jeer so openly was enraging.

The princess steadied herself, closing her eyes for a moment. "Indeed it is, I'm glad to have him. Silver will be nothing if not useful today, I promise."

"Oh yes, right! We should be off! I've got a lot planned for this… err…" The crocodile's jaws seemed to twist as he fumbled for a word, behind it Blaze could almost see redness on his cheeks. "…Excursion, right, yes! This excursion!"

The older rabbit set the tea tray down on the table, smiling to Vector; "I'm sure it will be lovely Vector." She turned back to the pair, "She should be asleep no later than nine, and she'll probably need her bedtime story. I prepared a dinner quiche; though it is meant for two, feel free to help yourselves and make whatever you need."

"Understood." Blaze nodded, "Silver, do you have anything to a-

Looking to him she found he was distracted, Cheese had fallen asleep in his arms; being cradled like an infant. His ears had lowered, there was a gentle smile on his face and a light to his eyes; he looked thoroughly content staring down at the little creature. Something tugged at Blaze's chest; she tore her eyes away from his smile and coughed to get his attention. At the sudden realisation he was being spoken to, he let out a squeak of surprise and confusion; without looking she knew he was flustered.

He wouldn't have time to respond however as Cream, finally pulling herself away from Blaze, gasped and rushed over to him. The tiny rabbit grabbed his arm, tiptoeing to look at the sleeping chao in his grasp. "Mister Silver I didn't know that you were good with chao. Do you have one?"

"No he just kind of fell asleep on me, I've never even held one before today. It's… nice." Silver admitted, looking from the child back to Blaze, "I'm sorry what was it?"

Blaze was finding it difficult not to look back at him, there was something, dare she even think it, adorable about this situation. Ever since he'd returned his steady adaption to life in the Sol Dimension had been wrought with such moments, from being overjoyed at sleeping in a bed to playing in the sea. Blaze still wasn't used to feeling like this, guarding the sol emeralds was far less draining. She turned to the older rabbit, "It's fine. We'll be fine Vanilla, I give you my word."

"I'm sure you'll both do wonderfully dear, try not to stress yourself. Vector?" The crocodile looked to her, Vanilla approached him; arm extended for him to loop. Without the slightest of hesitations, a mile wide and rather intimidating smile on his face, the crocodile took her arm in his own; dopey giggling emanated from his person. Chocola clambered its way up, sitting atop his arm. "I'd hope to be back before ten, but we shall see. Be good for them Cream."

Cream turned from petting Cheese in Silver's arms, "I will be, have fun on your date. You too Mister Vector!" The child spoke so innocently yet so bluntly, the gator went from green to red. Blaze couldn't help smiling as Cream, likely unknowingly, had avenged her.

The crocodile seemed to be in a world of his own for a moment, sweat poured from him and his pupils dilated. "W-Well yes, it's important to take breaks from detective work I-I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time on our d-d-date! B-Be good for them Cream… I-I'll be good to your mother; she's in safe hands you know. Safe hands! If anyone starts any trouble I-I'll rough 'em up, I'll throw an extra punch just for you!" And with that he began to stomp his way out the house, pulling a smiling Vanilla with him. With the slam at the door the group dropped from five to three, the pressure was on; for a moment silence ruled throughout the home.

"Well," Blaze led, "I suppose we should take tea first?"

"R-Right, yes tea." Silver sounded behind her, "I'm a little stuck." Turning to him she found the chao had, rather than lie in his arms, latched onto his chest fur in its slumber. He clearly embarrassed and thus, by proxy due to the adorable nature of the situation, so was Blaze.

Cream, however, seemed rather enamoured with the situation, returning to her tiptoes. "Cheese doesn't normally sleep on other people Mister Silver, it must be because you're so fluffy! I can get him off." Silver crouched low; arms still folded to support the chao's lower half. The little rabbit gently began to tickle the chao, prodding around his belly, moments later Cheese shifted from Silver and latched onto Cream's wrist. Silver's arms finally uncrossed, with a flick of the wrist three chairs pulled out from beneath the table. Cream, slightly in awe, hurried over and pulled herself up; chair pushing itself in through the hedgehog's will alone. "How do you do that Mister Silver? It's so cool!"

"Oh, it's just a little something I've always been able to do." He shrugged, trying to play it off, but Blaze could see a light in his eyes, a smile on his face; she could already foresee him showing off for the tiny rabbit. Marine had quickly fallen in love with Silver's powers, the ability to make her ships fly was worth more than his weight in loot to the Racoon, and already the cat could see Cream going the same way.

Blaze, took her seat at the head of the table and felt her chair gently pull in beneath her. As predicted, the hedgehog used his power for minor tasks all the time but rarely so forwardly. "Thank you, Silver." He took the seat opposite, naturally floating it in beneath himself.

"How are your classes coming along Cream?" Blaze began to pour the tea; "The last time I visited I believe you were starting your times-tables?"

Chao assumedly now in her lap Cream took her cup and saucer, "Thank you Miss Blaze. I think they're going quite well! My mother's still home-schooling me, there aren't enough children nearby for a proper school but sometimes Tails comes over… he's really far ahead of me though, even Mum had trouble keeping up. Charmy started coming too but he really didn't like it, he kept doodling and shouting; eventually, Mister Vector said he can't come to class anymore." The rabbit pushed her forefingers together, "It's impolite to say but… he wasn't a very good student. It's been a little lonelier without him and Tails is just so busy helping Sonic..." Cream's ears seemed to droop at that but, as if to muffle it, Cream took a quick sip of her tea before beaming up; first to Silver before focusing in on Blaze; "That's why I'm so glad you could come to look after me! Let alone bring Mister Silver!"

Having heard all of this, the tea poured, Blaze threw a glance to Silver; one of the biscuits hanging from his mouth their eyes met… she could tell he was having the same thought as her but the Princess wasn't settled on whether it was a good idea. Passing Silver his cup Blaze couldn't help but ask; "Cream what age are your closest friends? Do you many near you?"

Cream paused for thought, her ears crossing and uncrossing behind her head as her brows rather adorably knit. "Well, Charmy's my age and Tails is two years older, they're the closest to me but I don't see them too much. Then it's really just you and Amy, much older than me. I guess there's also Mister Big but…I'm not even sure how old he is. I know some others, like Mister Sonic and Mister Knuckles but… I guess most of my friends are a lot older. Why do you ask?"

The cat's brows furrowed, she looked back to Silver again but clearly, the tiny rabbit's words were hitting him at his core; his judgement would be clouded… though understandably so. She took a sip of her tea, gave it another moment's thought… but eventually she decided the potential good outweighed the bad. "It's just that we have another friend around your age in a similar situation, a racoon named Marine; she's quite… excitable, I'm afraid she may be too much for you, but I believe she'd appreciate your company. I could return to my dimension and retrieve her if you wanted?"

"I'd like that a lot Miss Blaze!" The young girl's eyes were sparkling but they quickly dropped to into her lap, hands clasped atop the table. "I-I mean, if you do think it's a good idea and it's not too much effort. I don't know how hard it is for you to move between dimensions and all, I-I don't want to pressure you... but I would really like to meet a girl my age for once." She was still trying to be so polite, clearly fighting back some kind of excitement.

"She's a whole lot better at it than I am at time-travelling, Blaze can get here way more accurately than me." Silver's teacup began a psychic ascent toward his mouth, a broad smile on his face. "Marine's pretty loud but that's just her way of being friendly, she settles down a little when you get to know her... not much but a little bit certainly. She'll surely want to recruit you into her crew."

Cream blinked at that, throwing him a perplexed glance; "Crew?"

"Oh, she's obsessed with boats and sailing; she calls the people she likes her crewmates." Silver explained, tea now tipping from his cup and floating as a globule in the air the beige liquid took the form of a simple boat, like a child's drawing with a hexagon for a base and a simple flag for a sail. It was a lot of effort to emphasise a basic point but as Blaze watched the rabbit's eyes light up and his match she knew the pair were enjoying themselves. Despite knowing him for so long she still couldn't help finding the freedom with which he used his power so endearing… even if it made for some rather awful table manners. "I can never tell if she wants to be a pirate or hates them or if it's just that she hates other pirates? She's probably never seen a chao either… right Blaze?"

"Indeed, they aren't an occurrence in the Sol Dimension; it seems they're exclusive to this one. Though now that I think about it…" Blaze's rubbed her chin, "I don't think she's ever been to this dimension. I've come on business and otherwise never thought to extend the invitation. I suppose it's about time she visited." She'd have to insist the racoon was on her best behaviour but otherwise things should go smoothly, Blaze rose from her chair; drawing forth the emeralds. Now engrossed within polite company it wouldn't be a faux pas to travel indoors. She took some steps away from the table, drawing the emeralds together a fiery portal opened before her, she gave one last glance back to the pair, a small smile on her face; "Do look after Mister Silver for me Cream, he's quite insecure when he's alone. Don't let him eat too many biscuits; his sweet tooth gets the better of him more often than not."

She wasn't quite certain why she'd done it; it was more than a little childish… she resigned herself to the idea that, as Cream had never really met Silver properly, she was simply endearing the hedgehog to her. Regardless of why she had said it; his reaction made the choice more than rewarding. The tea ship immediately crumbled into a floating amorphous mass, his jaw dropped and redness overcame his face in a flash before his head dropped into his palms; he was making quite a lot of sound but not saying anything. Once or twice she heard the words "Mister Silver" in a bewildered tone. Before he could recover Cream, beaming innocently, responded; "Don't worry Miss Blaze, I'll look after him for you!" Silver's head rose at that, the globule convulsing like a manic maelstrom in his grasp, awash in pink he went to say something to the Rabbit only to bite his tongue and immediately whack his head against the table. The Rabbit reached over and pet the top of his head; "Oh…it might be harder than I thought."

Feeling herself begin to chuckle Blaze quickly stepped through the portal, deciding she'd wounded him more than enough.

* * *

"… just be nice and everything will go smoothly, don't tease her and don't pull her ears. You're to make a good first impression, you're slightly her older so be responsible." Blaze had just finished reinforcing the guidelines to Marine but the tiny racoon was being far less than attentive.

"Yeah yeah mate, no worries no worries. To be honest she sounds like a right wet blanket, but I bet yer description ain't doin' her any favours. I'll just have to see for myself!" Marine, dressed in her usual earth tomes, was smiley and loud as ever.

The princess rolled her eyes at that, it wasn't that she'd understated Cream's fragile nature so much as she was accounting for Marine's bombastic attitude. Stood on the docks of Southern Island she clutched the sol emeralds in her palms again, conjuring up a portal, "Just don't make trouble for us please Marine, I'd like you to have a friend close to your age."

The racoon snorted at that, "What're you, my mum?" She took a deep sigh before cooing, Blaze could already tell what was coming, "D'awww are we gonna be a little family mate? Doesn't that make Silver the dad?"

Blaze was regretting this already but she'd made a promise to Cream, a promise she couldn't turn her back on. Even if things went poorly they had to give this a try, both of them needed more friends. Ignoring her last comment, biting back embarrassment, Blaze took Marine's hand and stepped through the portal, arriving back in that light green room half an hour since she'd left it, but something had hanged. The table and all four chairs were gone, a shadow on the floor where they should have been. Following the darkness to its source Blaze found the seating arrangements had ascended two or three metres and been coated in cyan aura.

Above she could hear Silver, nattering away. "Yeah, the sol dimension is full of really pretty islands? Blaze has shown me a bunch of them but there are so many more, I love living with her now; having a bed is so nice."

Blaze felt herself flush, refusing to meet a taunting gaze she was certain Marine was throwing her way. Cream responded in a rather confused tone; "They don't have beds in the future?"

"Well, none like Blaze's." Right, that was enough, she'd been tickled pink but now she was surely glowing red.

Blaze "Silver, Cream, we're back. Can you two come down?"

"Oh, Miss Blaze! And you must be Marine!" Rather than wait the rabbit dropped from her raised chair, ears fluttering as she slowly descended toward the ground; a packet of biscuits in hand. Slowly the seating arrangements followed suit, Silver loosed himself from his chair and landed next to the rabbit; Chao once again stuck to his chest fur. Immediately the rabbit, a good two inches shorter than Marine not accounting for ear, extended a hand to the racoon; "I'm Cream, it's very nice to make your aqu-

"How come everyone gets to fly but me! How'd ya even do that eh? Flying with your ears, it's pretty amazin' but doesn't your head fill with air? Can't be a good sound." Marine, rather roughly, grasped the tiny rabbit's hand and shook it thoroughly. "I'm Captain Marine, I'm sure my reputation has proceeded me but since it was carried by these lovey-dovey idiots I'll have to reintroduce myself! Gonna be an uphill battle to get'cha on my side but don't worry, Blaze was talkin' my ear off 'bout how you're soft but if you can fly you must be pretty tough!"

Blaze could see the young rabbit's eyes spinning, Marine's constant babbling was beginning to take its toll but Cream was maintaining a stiff upper lip. "Why thank you Mi- Captain Marine. I-

"Oh, I like you already! Usin' my proper title, hardly anyone ever does that, you're on track to join my crew already mate; I could use a lookout and with those ears you could do much more than lookin' right?" Finally Marine stopped shaking the rabbit's hand only to immediately sling an arm over her shoulder and start walking her toward the couch; it was as if she owned the place. Before Cream could even answer Marine was talking again, "I can't believe it took comin' all the way to another dimension to meet someone else… how old are you?"

"Oh, um, I'm six. A-and yes! These ears are good for listening to. Would you like a biscuit?" Blaze was keeping her eyes locked on the little rabbit; making sure Marine's antics weren't wearing on the little girl. Things were going better than she'd anticipated, though Marine was her boastful self it seemed her energy wasn't bothering Cream; granted the little rabbit had hardly gotten a word in but that was the norm when it came to conversations with Marine. Besides, Cream had dealt with Amy so often; surely she'd grown accustomed to longwinded talks about Sonic and perhaps that could be compared to Marine's speeches.

Blaze managed to pry her eyes away from the pair, nestled on the couch sharing biscuits, only to be met by Silver's broad grin; his eyes locked on the tiny Chao that clung to his chest fur. With one finger he was delicately petting it's little head, floating sleep symbol occasionally spiralling away as he brushed against it. Blaze hadn't paid much attention to Chao before but seeing it nestled in his arm, snuggling in for warmth, it was making her embarrassed to stare but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Finally Silver seemed to notice, "Do you want to try? Cream taught me how to move him, you just…" Silver gently teased around the edge of the chao's tummy and, with a little effort, Cheese disconnected from his chest fur and latched onto his wristlet; still very much asleep albeit less comfortable.

Blaze tried to keep her eyes locked on the chao, away from his broad grin. "I suppose I ought to give it a go, what should I do?"

"Just take my hand." He approached, gently in an attempt not to awaken the little creature, before extending a hand to her, held up in front of her face. Blaze took it, fingers gently brushing against his before interlocking and her thumb topping his. Now she couldn't help looking at him, he was too focused on the activity to even notice the closeness; bright eyes sparkling and a grin aimed at her. "Alright now you want to tickle his belly like you're pulling him towards you, it shouldn't be too hard. Just watch the little floating thing from his head, if that changes stop." Blaze gently began to tease the tiny creature's belly, keeping a close eye on the floating Z, only to be interrupted by the shouts of a young Racoon.

"Oh that is so like you two, any excuse to hold hands ain't it? I don't even know what that lil' thing is but you two are usin' it for handholdin', that's just typical." Marine turned back to Cream, "See neither of 'em will admit it but really they like each other a whole lot more than they say, I'm sure they're snogging behind my back but I can never catch them. Blaze probably only went to get me so she could 'av him to herself, I'm meant to distract you."

Blaze felt herself heating up; she kept her eyes on the chao and didn't dare look to Silver. Cream followed on from Marine; "Oh, my Mother and Mister Vector seemed to think they were together… and Mister Vector's a detective so maybe he detected it? I don't think he's met Blaze before though so that's really impressive! He says he's a really good detective but this is the first time I've really seen it." The innocence in Cream's voice, her fragility, was making this unbearable. Marine Blaze could shout at, albeit only a little, but Cream? Under the rabbit's protection, Marine had become unstoppable and, even worse, a bad influence. "It's okay Miss Blaze, this is all private stuff, right? Don't worry I won't tell anyone if you're embarrassed, I'm glad you've found someone you love!"

The princess was having more than a little trouble keeping herself cool, both for Silver's sake and the Chao that lingered between them. "Thank you Cream but, as I said before, we're not in l-

Before Blaze could even finish the rabbit had been pulled into a makeshift huddle with Marine, the closest of her long ears acting as the racoon's telephone as she snickered and whispered into it. Whatever she was saying Cream was listening very intently, her polite smile growing with each passing second; occasionally releasing giggles of her own. Finally, Blaze looked to Silver only to find his face awash with red, a wavering smile on his face and his eyes locked to the ground. The princess sighed, turning her attention back to the Chao; "Regardless we're not together." She attempted to continue the transfer but, likely due to the heat radiating from her body, the chao's bauble was flickering and pulsating from it's sleeping Z shape; Blaze didn't know much about chao but it was clearly a sign continued efforts would awaken it. "I suppose you'll have to look after him for a little longer."

"Y-Yeah, maybe we can try again later." He still wasn't meeting her eye; their hands lingered together for a moment longer before he awkwardly pulled back. "I'm not really sure what we're supposed to do now, do we just watch them or… I guess with Marine here we'll have to cook some more. It's lucky I don't need my hands right?" His eyes met hers for a moment only to quickly peel away, looking back to the pair. "Marine, have you eaten?"

"Eh? Yeah, I'm eating fine. Don't get yourself in a tizzy." Crumbs were falling from Marine's mouth, coating her dress and the couch; half the packet of gingernut biscuits was already gone. Cream meanwhile was delicately nibbling a single biscuit, napkin in her lap.

Blaze quickly made her way over, drawing some napkins from Vanilla's tea tray before snatching the packet from the racoon. "Hopefully Cream's habits will rub off on you, despite being your younger she's far more mature." Before the Racoon could counter Blaze leaned in and wiped down the brat's mouth, then shifting to dust off her dress. "If you're going to act childish I'll have to treat you as such, I was hoping you'd act more maturely around your peers; try to set a good impression."

Marine looked away and stuck her tongue out, "Yeah well I'm a proper kid, and the captain, so it doesn't matter how I act. You're meant to be mature." Her arms folded across her body, she was clearly embarrassed at how she was being treated. "She'll learn from me rather than the other way around, soon she'll be actin' like us kids ought to; won't you Cream?"

"I, um, I-I guess? I don't really know what you mean Captain Marine." Cream admitted, her biscuit now concluded she began to gently fold the napkin to contain the crumbs. Despite being only one year apart the two truly couldn't be more different.

Her embarrassed pout transformed into a mischievous grin. "Ah don't worry about it, you'll be sailin' and shoutin' in no time. Just follow my lead and everythin'll be fine."

Blaze rolled her eyes, the cleaning completed she turned to the little rabbit; a more serious look on her face. "Don't let Marine manipulate you. If she tries to make you act in a way you don't want just call me and I'll deal with her."

The little rabbit gently smiled, "Don't worry Miss Blaze, I'm having fun. It's a little weird to see you acting like a mother; it's very nice though. You're doing really well!"

Blaze's eyes darted back to Marine, that mischievous smile had grown into a full-blown maniacal grin. Subtly wasn't in the Racoon's wheelhouse, immediately Blaze knew what they'd been whispering about; she took a deep sigh. This had been a terrible idea, a very terrible idea, she felt her fist clench and heat rise... but as her eyes flickered between the pair, one openly guffawing while the other failed to hide her giggles behind a hand, she couldn't help softening slightly; the heat died down and she turned away. Still rather embarrassed her arms folded. "Well I see you two already have an inside joke, I'm glad you're getting along well."

"Oh mate we've got much more than that. Forget lookout I think I've found my vice-captain already!" The familiar sounds of crunching sounded from behind Blaze, she turned on her heel only to find the racoon had a handful of the biscuits. Marine was grinning, Cream looking down quite guiltily… albeit with another biscuit in her mouth. "She can do some real cool stuff with those ears of hers, flyin' and hidin' biscuits… way more powerful than makin' fire and throwing boxes around. Kinda makes me wish I had something…"

Blaze took the remainder of the biscuits, returning them to the bag but leaving her with one; making sure to point her scowl directly at the racoon… not that it did much good. Cream gently patted her new friend on the shoulder, "Well you have your boats, don't you? I could never even sail a boat, let alone make one."

At that Marine's arm wrapped around the rabbit's shoulder, pulling her in tightly; "Yeah you're right mate! My ship makin' skills are way cooler than anything anyone else has. I can make cannons and all sorts, nobody's got a power like mine!" She was smiling before a pout formed, her hand raised to her chin in a half attempt to cloak that smile. "Well… Dad's powers are pretty cool; he can make my ships fly! Mum's are just good for fightin', well and hugging Dad I guess."

The racoon tried to smile sweetly but Marine couldn't really do sweet. Blaze's glare returned, her sheepishness at the titles was overcome by the insult toward her pyrokinesis, by feeding her embarrassment to her rage she hoped to avoid showing any weakness. "Marine, stop it. You've not been here half an hour and already you're causing trouble! Just be good and-

"Blaze's power is much cooler than mine, what're you saying?" Silver had cut in, stopping Blaze's anger before it could overwhelm her he'd taken a step into the group; tiny chao awake but in a sleepy haze as it clung to his arm. Of course, as the children had said it so often, he'd taken on saying cool despite talking about her power. "She can make fire from nothing, light entire rooms and warm the coldest of places. There's no way my powers are better than hers." He'd always been more than a little defensive when it came to her powers, ever since they'd met in that destroyed city, but she knew it to be the truth; he had always liked her powers.

Marine, however, didn't focus on that part, instead bursting into laughter once more; "You didn't even deny it! Neither of you did! That's amazing, aww mates, I can't believe it. Blaze is the strict mother, Silver's the softy dad."

To her credit, the newly awakened Cheese floating from Silver back to the tiny girl, Cream was attempting to limit her friend; patting her back, "Captain Marine it's not polite to embarrass people, a-and yes while Mister Silver's powers are fun; Miss Blaze's are cool as well!"

"Mate it may not be polite but it's worth it for the reactions, just look at 'im!" Marine was pointing toward Silver and, almost on reflex Blaze followed that finger. She was standing next to him, thus only getting a side on view; his right hand was covering his eyes and upper muzzle but leaving little to the imagination, embarrassment had surely overcome him before he'd even spoken a word in defence of her flames but he'd said it anyway.

He was shaking quite a bit, he managed to speak; "I'm just going to see what I can make for dinner, p-plan it now as in… I'll try not to use up too much of your mother's food Cream."

"Just help yourself, and… um… Mister Silver?" He'd already started to walk away, making for the door they'd entered the house through. The rabbit pointed to a door on the other side of the room, "The kitchen's that way… and don't be afraid of your feelings! Amy's always so open with hers, I'm sure you should be too!"

Silver quickly turned and made his way toward the kitchen, Blaze could see now the redness was on both sides of his face. How long would they be in denial about this? Perhaps for as long as Marine taunted them for it, but that could easily be as long as they lived, she certainly felt the implication that her feelings were being reciprocated but… did he understand that yet? She couldn't blame him if he didn't; she hadn't made it abundantly clear to him, outside her occasional blush and embarrassed tension the only real indication had been the suggestions of others that they were together. Perhaps it was time to take a more obvious step… but just what kind of step she had no idea, this was so new to both of them but Silver was typically the more openly emotive of their pair; did it not make sense for him to lead?

Blaze shook herself free from thoughts, turning back to the children; now wasn't the time to consider such things, she wouldn't have acted today; especially not with Cream present let alone Marine. They were whispering back and forth, giggling all the while; naturally, Blaze could only make out what Marine but she was the more problematic of the two. She lowered herself into, what she assumed to be, Vanilla's chair. There were a couple of simple books on the tea table before her, one a colouring book with crayons scattered… this was all a little surreal. Neither of her lives matched up with this, her most recent life had been one of cold isolation in walls like these but her first had a sense of comradely without the protective warmth these two were experiencing; chao clambering their shoulders in an attempt to join the conversation. Despite how alien it was to her something about this felt right, sitting in the chair watching two little girls become fast friends, in such a domestic setting. There was something almost serene about-

"I think I'll just make omelettes, side them with some salad. Does that seem alright?" She turned to see Silver, head poking out the kitchen and a gentle smile on his face.

Immediately Marine's taunting hit Blaze again, she was in this position… the seat belonging to Cream's mother while he had been planning dinner. She'd been so content in this position, so relaxed! There was something much too domestic about all this, much plainer than the lives they'd lived before! The thought that this was comforting was too bizarre! Blaze sprang from the chair and steeled herself by turning from his gaze. Cream tried to call out only for Marine to beat her to it; "That'll be fine Dad! Can we have dessert too?"

The princess shouted before her partner could reply; "There certainly won't be if you continue this path!" Blaze frowned through the embarrassment; arms folded and slotted herself onto the couch beside Cream. Trying her hardest to forget the racoon's words and her prior comfort.

* * *

"Alright! We're almost done!" Silver's voice called from the kitchen, pulling Blaze from the admittedly boring book on Chao behaviours. Cream and Marine had long dropped from the couch to kneel at the tea table, Cream colouring in what looked to be a parrot while Marine had torn out and flipped a page to doodle what could only be described as pirates and pirate-esq things. At the sound of Silver's call the racoon bolted to her feet, charging toward the dinner table, only to stop as she passed the kitchen door; falling to the floor as laughter overtook her.

Cream, quickly wandering over to support her friend, hesitated at the doorway; covering her mouth with her eyes wide. "Mister Silver are you okay? Would you like me to help set the table?"

"No don't worry Cream, just take your seat! I'll use my psychokinesis, it'll be way easier." Blaze had risen, began her approach, when the subject of the racoon's laughter and the rabbit's confusion became clear.

Silver emerged from the kitchen but, over his chest, was a pink apron that could only be described as garish. It was clearly made for Vanilla; with every step it threatened to trip him, the outline of his boots consistently appearing as he shuffled forward. Blaze had to tear her eyes away from the sight; she felt a heat flare on her cheeks. As she looked to the table four plates and sets of cutlery wrapped in his cyan glow arranged themselves atop the tablecloth; closely followed by a pitcher of apple juice and four glasses. He was embracing this domesticity even more than she was.

All four chairs pulled themselves out, the children clambering up them only to be magically pushed in, but Blaze felt a tap on her shoulder… she turned to face him again, still very red… but so was he. "I… um… eh… can't seem to get this off. I somehow go the strap over my quills but…" He was gesturing to the band around the back of his neck, looking at the length of his quills compared to the wideness of the gap it was rather impressive he'd gotten it on in the first place; while it hung loosely on him and exposed his upper chest fur getting it over those two giant prongs that hung from the back of his head must have been near impossible. Blaze approached from behind, the lower back strap was already undone thus all she had to do was help him get it around his head. Her temperature was continuing to rise but she fought through it, her fingers brushed against his chest fur for a moment but she quickly snatched them away as she raised the strap.

"Honestly mate, he was only in the kitchen for a half hour, can you not keep your hands off him? We're trying to eat here." Marine whined, "Well… I'm not… I need my tomato sauce. Silver! Get the tomato sauce!"

"Marine be quiet for a moment. If you need it so badly get it yourself." Blaze hissed, vision completely obscured by Silver's head of hair. Pushing down the quills with one hand she attempted to pull back the hem of the apron without choking him. With some effort the apron finally came off but as she pushed it over her head her elbows met with the top of his shoulders; arms almost wrapped around him. Blaze quickly released her grip, pulling away an attempting to further shake the thoughts from her head, Silver passed by to hand up the apron only to unveil Marine glowering at her omelette… clearly still wanting that sauce. Meanwhile Cream was waiting patiently for the table to fill, having tucked a napkin into her collar and cut off a corner of her omelette for Cheese. When Silver re-entered Blaze's vision he had the ketchup bottle in hand, with a hand to the shoulder Blaze stopped him; "If she wants it she'll get it herself, we're babysitting Cream; not Marine. She needs to learn to either ask properly or get it herself." Silver did stop though; his eyes went from her to that of the pleading racoon, Blaze kept her hand securely placed on his shoulder, Marine knew all too well how to manipulate the hedgehog and so the princess would have to assert her will. "If she doesn't learn manners now she never will."

The racoon unleashed a loud groan, fist pounding on the table; head thrown skyward. "Fine! Please can I have the tomato sauce? There; is that good enough?"

Silver looked back to Blaze, he'd been soft on the bratty child since they first met but coupled with said child's prior description of their roles his own pleading eyes were coating her further scarlet. Blaze quickly looked back to the racoon, releasing Silver's shoulder, "It will do but I expect it to be maintained." The moment the bottle was in her possession Marine, having not even tried the omelette, drowned Silver's cooking in an ocean of red. Blaze could already foresee the fight to make her eat the side salad…

A blue light gently tugged her seat in beneath her, she was met with the scent and sight of Silver's cooking; something she'd become rather accustomed to. It was a simple dinner but he'd clearly put work into it, a speckled brown pattern dotted the yellow to show it had been perfectly cooked and the layers were slightly separated by a filling of diced pepper, mushroom and cheese. "Thank you for doing all of this Silver, you only had to cook for two of us you know."

"Ah, yes, thank you so much Mister Silver! I'm sure it will be wonderful." The polite girl pierced a chunk of her omelette, holding it out to Cheese to take. The tiny creature was struggling but slowly it managed to tug the foodstuff from the fork.

He'd finally pulled himself in, floating to meet with his chair as it pulled beneath the table. "Your both welcome, I gave them my all. I guess we'll take Miss Vanilla's quiches back with us? We shouldn't let her effort go to waste." Immediately, rather than use his hands, his knife and fork began to float; cutting the dish into chunks for him to inevitably float to himself rather than actually utilise a fork. Playing with his food, as usual… endearing but incredibly poor table manners, she doubted that habit would ever leave him and perhaps, deep down, didn't want it to.

"Indeed, it would be rude to leave them after her offer." She took her first bite, cutting off a corner piece, and immediately the flavour took her in. The texture was soft but, rather than melting in her mouth, with each bite the slightly salty egg parcelling would fall away and thus more of the interior taste of vegetable and cheese exposed. The flavour wasn't overwhelming but the piece blended together nicely; it all, once again, proved the lengths he'd gone to preparing this meal.

"Mates you're not even eating it right, you've got to use the ketchup to make the vegetables go away!" Marine was only adding more tomato sauce to the dish as she ate, meanwhile, Cream was slowly and politely working her way through the dish; following a more omelette based portion switching to the salad. The continuous sounding of ketchup squirts was wearing on Blaze's nerves but things would only get worse. "Oi Cream, try it try it!"

Blaze went to stop the racoon, "Cream you don't have-

"Okay, I'll give it a shot!" And without hesitation the rabbit took the bottle and promptly spread a lake of sauce across her plate, she would have painted every inch had Blaze not reached across and gently pried the condiment from the rabbit's hands.

"No more of this, I hope you've not wasted your meals and thus all of Silver's effort. Think before you act, you will finish all that you can." Immediately Cream's lip began to quiver, her honeypot eyes almost seem to grow. Blaze held her ground but then whimpers began, Cheese landing on the tiny girl's shoulder and attempting to console her.

"Well... if it's that bad now Vanilla's cooking is still there right? That'd be fine wouldn't it?" Of course, Silver was still going soft on them; he shrugged. "It's fine, they're just omelettes. Don't upset yourself Cream." A glance toward the little rabbit showed she had bounced back, forcing her way through and the dish at the cheering of Marine and Cheese.

Blaze turned back to her partner. "Silver it's the president of the matter, they need to learn lessons and get experience hardship to grow. They should be eating properly, with good manners, as I'm sure Cream usually would." A glare was shot toward Marine only to be met with a stuck out tongue but Blaze's eyes were drawn elsewhere by a movement. Two chunks of omelette floated toward him; sandwiching cucumber and lettuce between them. The hypocrisy that lived through the exception that Silver was caused her to sigh. "So should you most probably, to set a good example."

He blinked at that, a brow rose, and the makeshift sandwich vanished into his mouth. "Eh? Oh! You mean like when I eat with Gardon and shouldn't use my powers? Am… am I doing that to teach him good manners? I thought he was older." Though clearly confused Silver's aura did vanish and he finally, physically, drew forth his knife and fork.

Blaze shook her head. "No that's-

"Nah, that's cause he's a stickler for formality and all that. Doesn't even like me callin' him mate." Marine, not incorrectly, explained before looking back to the Princess. "Yeah Grampa is a real stick in the mud, he's great and all but he's a wet blanket."

The cat's grip tightened around her cutlery, mouth opened, only to hear a high pitched screeching noise; looking to its source she found Silver. His head was down though not far enough to totally hide his redness, in his embarrassment he'd cut too deeply into the omelette and skid the knife's edge across the ceramic plate. "S-Sorry…"

She sighed yet again, allowing herself to forget Marine's last line and instead turning her attention back to her own plate; continuing to eat. She'd been so distracted she'd fallen far behind the rest of the table, focused on eating she tried to ignore the children's whispers; only hearing the likes of "It isn't working anymore so you have to do it, come on…" and "Just do it, don't be a wimp, you won't get in trouble." After much more muttering Blaze finally looked up to the pair, Cream froze like a deer in a set of headlights while Marine tried to keep whispering into one of her giant ears.

The tiny girl clamped her eyes shut, fists clenched; "S-Sec…Second Mum, I'm s-sorry I made a mess of dinner! A-And I'm sorry for what I-I did to your food D-Dad but I'll f-finish it!" With that done she beamed to Marine who was already beaming back before both their eyes stared to us. On one hand Marine was rapidly tricking innocent Cream to follow in her footsteps but in the other, it was good and nice to see the two getting along, perhaps even as a result in the natural difference between their personality.

Blaze took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to relax, and closed her eyes; the only way to break through this was maturity. She took on the air of a princess. "As proud of yourself as you are Cream, and I am glad to see some confidence from you, I'm afraid Marine has long run this joke into the ground before you. Please do not continue with it." Her eyes opened only to find them laughing at Silver, assuming his usual face in hands and totally red embarrassed demeanour. Well, it had been worth an attempt. Her eyes locked to Marine's plate, the omelette was gone but in the wake of the red devastation all of her salad remained. "Marine, eat your vegetables." The racoon was turned back to Cream and while her ears had twitched at Blaze's word she was clearly paying them no mind. "Well, you're not leaving the table until they're gone."

At that she threw her head to the sky and heaved a groan; "Mate I may be callin' you mum right now as a jape but you aren't actually my-

"No, if you're going to put me in this position then I'll have to act as such." Maintaining her cold outward demeanour, distracting herself from embarrassment by cutting her food, she pushed on; "You're eating your vegetables, we're not having this argument."

The racoon's face had turned, transforming from a smile into a pout; "It's no fun if you're comfortable with it, fine; I'll eat them Blaze." She started to grumble loudly, dragging lettuce leaves through the tomato see and consuming them with a twisted and disgusted frown. She was bearing her teeth, eating with her mouth open, but at least she was eating. Cream meanwhile was eating away, still a good quarter of her omelette remained. Silver had just about finished but currently still had his head down, his ears had folded and pinkness was still on his face.

Dropping the act she gently kicked him beneath the table, catching his eye she gave a nod of… attempted reassurance? This was all just as embarrassing for her as it was for him, she was just better at keeping it internal, but making sure he knew this was a mutual feeling was important. It seemed to work regardless as he returned the small kick, straightening up and retrieving his cutlery albeit still being hued slightly pink. By the time she looked back from Silver something bizarre had happened, however… Marine's vegetables were gone and Cream was rapidly working her way through a pile double the size it had been. The racoon was maintaining her prior face of disgust, arms folded across her chest and looking away.

"Cream, return Marine's salad." Without blinking Blaze continued her meal.

"S-Sorry…" Cream sounded.

"Eh, we gave it a shot mate. We'll get through this one way or another." The racoon reassured.

* * *

Completing the relatively light dinner took more than an hour; far longer than it should have, but finally Marine swallowed the last forkful of lettuce. Cream had long excused herself to go play outside, Silver accompanying her, and so the last few mouthfuls had been fought through a cold stare down rather than Silver's more gentle tactics.

"Was that really so difficult?" Blaze sighed, collecting both her own and Marine's plate.

"It really was mate! What's the point in keepin' me cooped up in here over a couple of leaves? I should be out there, runnin' free!" The racoon hoped down from the table, heading straight back toward the door. "I've got to show her how to be a proper pirate, a good one, not a rubbish one! She can hardly crack jokes without breaking in two, looks like she's gonna cry over the tiniest things; I've got to toughen her up! Soon she'll be a proper pirate with me!"

Blaze hesitated at that, "So, would you say you've become fast friends with Cream?"

Marine turned back, the smile had returned to her face. "What? Oh yeah mate, she's great! As I said, she's soft as jelly, but I see real potential and she's a nice enough lass. It's nice to you know…" She paused, rubbing her chin, "You know what mate? You were right; it is nice knowin' someone my own age. So um… thanks, I guess?" And without another word Marine rushed off, Blaze could just hear her shout to the pair as she made it through the door.

There was a small warm feeling in Blaze's chest, she was glad this had all gone so well; for as much of a brat as Marine had been, she'd successfully navigated the fragile landscape that was Cream's personality, far better than Blaze herself had when they first met. She quickly washed their dishes, Silver had already seen to both Cream's and his own (undoubtedly with psychokinesis) and made her way out. It was already dark, while there was no snow by the wind Blaze could tell winter was truly upon them. She looked to the sky; clear, as Vanilla's house was in the hill countryside there was little light pollution even compared to the islands Blaze was used to. Casting her gaze across the environment she quickly found that familiar cyan glow, stationed atop one of the smaller surrounding hills by the shifting of his quills she could tell his vision was split between the pair (who she could hear running and laughing) and the sky above.

She quietly made her way over, aided by a combination of the light he emanated and the light of the full moon above. He was much too distracted when she approached, seizing the opportunity she gently slid a warm hand into his; her fingers slid into the grooves between his knuckles. He seemed to loosen a little as he felt her glowing warmth, eyes locking to hers, "Oh hey, looks like she finally finished then. They're just playing around, it's a game called tag I think?" Beneath them Silver had spread his grasp over a small range, creating a beacon of light the two would occasionally run through as they chased one another. She felt him return her grip. "The sky's really good tonight, you've not seen this one too often, right? It's different to yours… that's not just me imagining things right?"

Blaze cast her eyes to the sky, each cluster of stars lending its own light to the sky and augmenting the natural dark blue with brighter hues and twinges of purple; far more gentle and scattered than the way the moon brightened the night. But, as beautiful as it was, that was the same for every night sky she'd seen from the islands of her dimension. "I'm not sure what you mean Silver."

"Umm… it might just be me then, but…" Silver lowered himself to the grass and she followed, hand still in his, and pulled herself closer; giving another glance to be sure the children were still playing fine. His mouth had changed from a gentle smile to more twisted, he was really thinking hard about this. "Like seeing someone you know well but something's changed a little and you don't know what. It's not a bad change by any means it's just… different. They aren't the same stars we've been looking at together, they're repositioned and new, but it's still a wonderful sky." As he scratched at his quills she looked down at him, there was an uncertainty in his eyes but even through it they sparkled in the starlight. "That's probably really dumb… I guess I don't know how to explain it but… it's nice!"

Blaze looked back up to the sky, she felt his body shift a little closer; shoulder to shoulder he was embracing her warmth… she gently turned up the temperature, trying to regulate it despite her embarrassment. She thought about what he had said and couldn't help but draw some parallels between it and their current situation. The change was less literal, rather than seeing a new set of stars it was seeing one another in a different light; ways they hadn't previously considered. When she looked at the sky with that in mind she could begin to see it, patches where she thought things should be more clusters… the constellations she knew forming differently. "It was a naïve way to explain it but… I think I understand. It's not that you totally remember the night sky of prior nights so much as you notice that it's changed. That things aren't as they were and, while it's perhaps a little scary, it's also wonderful?"

"Seeing a different sky is scary to you?" There was confusion to his voice, perhaps she'd put too much of herself into that; she felt herself warm up further.

Blaze tried to push the thought aside. "Perhaps not scary so much as… different, but yes; I think I understand what you mean now."

"Oh, I'm glad." They would stare up at the sky for a while, enjoying the peace as a racoon and rabbit chased each other bellow, eventually her head tilted to rest on his shoulder and not long after she felt his head against hers. Her tail traced around his back, she'd just begun to purr when they were interrupted; the sound of Marine's whining bouncing off the hills.

Finally, she came into view, hand in hand with Cream with Cheese clinging to the rabbit's free hand. "Silver, mate, you can't be sittin' around hogging all the warmth. It's way too cold!" Without hesitation the racoon threw herself across Blaze's legs, immediately the hedgehog and cat were sitting straight, though their hands still interlocked.

Blaze frowned, "Marine you can't just-

"Silver was right, your power's great, just let me be warm! You can snuggle with him all you want, I just want my share!" The racoon was making herself comfortable by slipping between her legs and using them like armrests, much to the discomfort of Blaze. She was about to reprimand Marine when she felt a tug at her shoulder.

"M-Miss Blaze I'm really cold can I…" The rabbit was clearly shivering, Blaze allowed her boundaries to be breached once again; raising her left arm, almost immediately the rabbit shot beneath it and leant into her warmth… and pushing Blaze back into Silver.

"See, mine may be good for moving stuff but Blaze's power is way better. I'm glad you both understand that now." She felt his head push back in against hers and with it her temperature continued to skyrocket. She wasn't used to sharing her power outside of with Silver and while this wasn't using an open flame it was still more positive attention than she was used to getting for them. She closed her eyes to focus, tried to keep control… only to feel something on the back of her head; leafing through her ponytail. "Oh, Cheese finally moved onto you."

She felt the chao's tiny legs kicking against her ear as the creature attempted to settle itself. Slowly but surely a yawning spell began to overcome them, first claiming Cheese before travelling through Cream to Marine and then, finally, to Blaze. With her the cycle began again though eventually the yawning would become more sporadic, random in its order. Blaze could feel wetness beginning to develop in the corners of her eyes, still looking to the stars, when she felt her partner shift his head from her shoulder; she looked to him but rather than meet his eyes she saw he was looking away. Had something happened? Looking to the other two she found them fast asleep, Marine's snoring filled the night.

After a moment he spoke. "I…I-I really liked today, all of this. I know it was supposed to be a job but… it's made me think about some of this stuff."

"What stuff Silver?" More than anything Blaze was concerned, she reached out and touched his shoulder.

Finally he looked back, he was clearly embarrassed but… there was something passed that. "Do you… I think… I-I know Marine was joking but the more I think about it…" Finally he went from concerned frowning to smiling. "I don't know when but one day I think I want to have a family like this." Blaze's eyes blurred, a heat shot through her warmer than any prior that night; what did he mean by a family like this? How important was the word like, was he really thinking that far ahead? They weren't even properly together yet, they were dancing around it like it was some kind of ticking time bomb, how could he be thinking about-

He cut off her train of thought. "Blaze you've gotten even warmer, i-is everything ok-

She cut him off entirely; "Yes!" She cursed her self for shouting, looking down to the pair. They'd shifted but neither had awakened. She began to whisper, "Yes that's… I'm glad you're considering these things Silver but it's a little… early."

"Y-Yeah I know it's just…" He was whispering too now, he'd leaned in far too close. "I-I really liked today, I've never been part of a family so seeing one was…" He shook his head, "We should probably take them inside. It's got to be getting late."

He went to stand but she kept her hand on his shoulder, holding him down. "I'm sure that there'll be an opportunity to do this again Silver and one day, maybe… yes, I think being part of a family would be nice."

He was tickled pink, visible in the moonlight, but there was a giant smile on his face. "I'll just carry you thr- four in then. Try not to wake them… oh, I didn't have to read Cream a bedtime story."

Blaze smiled, he'd gone from such a serious topic to something so childish and naïve. "Next time, alright."

And with that he'd extend his hands, gently the group would rise into the air and hover just above his open palms. He'd carry them through the doorway, having to rather difficultly twist the angle of their flight to get them through, before lowering the group onto the couch. Eventually Vector and Vanilla would return but, for a while longer at least, Blaze enjoyed having this brief family… even if it was still very embarrassing.


	14. Naive

Silver wasn't sure how they'd gotten this far without him questioning it but now a certain thought was eating away at him. Sat on the edge of his bed the seconds were passing like hours, hours like days; just waiting for Blaze to return so he could ask her a single, simple, question. How much do you love me?

They were eighteen, bordering on nineteen, almost five years ago he'd arrived in this dimension and they'd remembered their shared past… but when in those years had things changed between them? His confusion at this was due to how their relationship had begun, rather than treating it as something new their partnership had grown, budded and blossomed to become more intimate; eventually culminating in what it was today. There was no clear point where one had become the other, where mutual love had been made clear, and this left him with many additional questions. When had they gone from friendly partners to the loving sort? Over how long had their love built to this level? Had they both decided they were in love at the same time? Had they been on this path ever since reuniting? Before that? With each of those thoughts he felt himself grow hotter and hotter, his palms came up to rub his forehead; quills frayed between his fingers and cyan light shining through closed eyelids.

He'd been asking himself these questions ever since this morning, now it was the dead of night and he was still awaiting her return. His hands lowered to his chin, he brought his legs up to fold and rested his elbows in his lap; recalling this morning for the hundredth time.

He'd awakened first, her head immersed in his chest fur and their limbs a tangled mess atop his bed; he'd have pins and needles when he rose, his right hand had been truly numb, but as he lay there his only thoughts had been of her lying with him. It wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed, goodness no, but it was the first in a long time; she lived a busy life tending to her kingdom as he did tending to the future but now things had eased on both fronts. It had been lying there, immersed fully in her warmth, that he'd had time to just think... a rather dangerous thing for him. His thoughts, starting at how warm she was and how comfortable he felt, slowly tended toward just what they were and where they were in their relationship. He was comfortable, he was happy and he knew he loved her but the evolutionary nature of their partnership blurred when things had grown this intimate. He loved her so much, but when had it reached this point? And, from that, he began to question whether they were at the same point, had their growth as partners always been in lockstep or was he leading the way … was she leading the way?

Over the more recent stage of their relationship Silver had observed some changes in Blaze, changes he most certainly liked but perhaps suggested she was the one leading. For one thing, her confidence had massively grown, with the maturing of their relationship more often than not she was the one who led in kissing or came to his room in the palace… she had the prior night in fact, they were in his bedroom. But from that confidence had come something Silver himself could barely do; teasing. Teasing wasn't totally new to Blaze, you're so naïve could be used in so many ways, but more recently it reached the point of physical teasing. Was this a sign that he was falling behind or was this just the dynamic of their relationship? He liked to think it was the latter but in thinking about it he realised the question that was now plaguing his mind, he realised he'd never asked her how much she loved him.

He was sprung from these thoughts as she shifted in her sleep, one of her hands casting further down his back and her head turning to place a cheek against his chest; a particularly long purr had sent electricity up his spine. He'd told her he loved her and she'd told him the same but... she'd never said to what extent. I love you was spoken between kisses, when parting for an extended period and generally just when she felt like saying it but she'd never told him how much weight those words carried for her. Was it intentional? Could she not? Or was it just because he'd never actually asked her. Once again the subject of his thoughts drew him from them, an awakening yawn sounded beneath him; he gently drummed his fingers on her back.

"Good morning Silver." Her voice rumbled from beneath him, looking down he caught a glimpse of her amber eyes before they quickly reclosed but a, lightly fanged, smile remained.

"Good morning Blaze." The sight of her lavender frame curled against his only further fed these questions, it felt like gaps in his memory but he knew he hadn't forgotten a thing. He felt her arms shift to his shoulders as she wiggled her way up to eye level, her tail coiling around his thigh and colouring him red. With age he'd ended up a head taller than her and so it was in positions like these that intimate moments most often occurred.

Her forehead had pushed against his, chin leant away thus lips just out of reach, her eyes now locked on his; there was that teasing. "I've got an early meeting, I can't linger too long."

Despite her words the pause would last a moment longer, a moment designed to leave him anticipating, before he felt her forehead leave his, her eyes closed… only for there to be another pause. He'd tried to speak the word please but hadn't got passed the first syllable before she was upon him; head tilted to the side and her mouth pressed over his. It was a deep kiss, albeit a brief one; she briefly pushed passed his teeth, tapped his tongue and with it popped his eyes wide, before retracting; beginning to untangle herself from him. As her tail unwound from his leg, recovering from the induced shock, his mind lurched back to that question. As she rose, the warmth of the bed tiptoeing after her, he managed to ask; "How much do you love me?"

Blaze had turned to him with furrowed brows, bearing down on him with her analytical gaze… albeit it's usual intimidating seriousness was diminished by baggy pyjamas and lowered hair. She leaned in as if to get a closer reading; amber eyes piercing into his own. Finally, the stare eased, her hand went from his forehead to pet his quills. "You're so naïve."

That response sent his mind spiralling, it was the only explanation she'd given this morning. Rather than elaborate she'd leant in, gently kissed his lips once more, before pulling away and turning toward the door. "I'll be back tonight, it's going to be a long day." Thinking back he wasn't sure if that was a long day for herself, him or for both them.

Without the answer the question kept repeating in his mind, bounding off the walls of his brain like some great echo chamber. "Blaze please." He had wined and thus, in hindsight, he knew she had won there and then.

She simply repeated, "You're so naïve," and leant down, once again gently kissing him… a deep kiss but not a long kiss, lingering far too short for his liking. "Later, I need to go back to my room and prepare." He saw a hint of those fangs again, "Try not to get too pent up about this." Of course, that had only made him infinitely more pent up about this. She'd turned, tail swishing behind her, and (with a wiggle of her ear as she confirmed no one was outside) she'd left him lying there; with a mired mind and a red face. Silver had tried to go about his day; helping Marine with her shipbuilding projects, not daring to share his troubles with her but often getting caught daydreaming.

Still sat on the edge of his bed Silver's head managed to escape his hands only for him to let out a half groan, quarter sigh and quarter growl; was he really this weak to this? He sighed, slumping back into his hands; yes, he was. Her teasing had started a year ago but it'd never been like this; she'd usually leave him hanging for seconds, five minutes at most, not fifteen hours. How much do you love me; was it really naïve to ask? Well considering their relationship maybe it-

He heard a key in his latch; besides him only she had that key. She didn't like calling out, Gardon was still Gardon; thus ever worried about the princess. He hurried to busy himself with something, using his power to pull a book from a nearby shelf and opening it in his lap. She was in pyjamas already, an indication she didn't intend to leave; hair reaching just beyond her shoulders, lining the collarbone exposed by a dark cyan, tending green, shirt. The t-shirt was coupled with baggy grey shorts, ending an inch above the knee; these were the kind of clothes she only wore to sleep; something about public engagements requiring a more refined touch. Realising he was starting he went to stand but she was already upon him; "Good evening."

"G-Good evening, how was today?" Of course he'd squeaked, she'd become so much more comfortable and composed in this setting while he would lapse and squirm.

Her honey gaze was drawing ever closer; she was leaning down to him… that only happened in these four walls. "Tedious, even outside the meetings, Gardon found me plenty of busywork. " She paused her advancement, gesturing down to his lap. "Your book's upside down."

He'd been pink before but now he could feel the sweat on his brow, he couldn't pull himself from her eyes; the book tumbled to the floor. "Can you please answer that question now?"

She drew even closer; her head had tilted; were they even an inch apart? Yet his eyes remained locked on hers. "What question?"

A shudder tore through his body; he wanted nothing more than to move in… well, one thing more. The answer to that question; "How much do you love me?"

"You're so naïve." Again those words rang out, he felt her arms come down at his sides; her eyes closed and she leant in. While it wasn't the answer he longed for but it was-

Her lips had only touched his for a second before she pulled back, her dark golden eyes had reopened and locked on his. His heart was pounding, his breathing desynchronised. "Blaze, please; tell me." She leant in again but this time her lips didn't meet with his, instead brushing near his jawline for a moment before pulling back… but not nearly as far. He could barely maintain eye contact now and her arms locked him in place. "B-Blaze, what are you doing?"

Soft purrs began to ebb from the feline, "You're so naïve." Her head rubbed beneath his chin, forcing him to look up, and then he felt it; her lips made contact with his neck. It lasted longer than those kisses but not nearly long enough, he felt his knees knock and his vision blurred; it wasn't that this was the first time she'd attacked that zone, it was how well she knew it to be his weakness. The kissing stopped but this time she didn't pull away, his head was still forced up. "I-I w-want to know Blaze."

Silver could feel every breath on his neck. "Want to know what?"

He knew that Blaze knew but no matter how hard he thought he couldn't understand why she was doing this. Why wasn't she answering? Silver forced through it, asking again. "How much do you love me?"

"You're so naïve." The kiss was planted further this time, her warm muzzle slid against his neck before her lips pushed through his chest fur ruffle and into his skin; his breath hitched this time as he felt her suck for only a second. He felt her lips pull away, prepared to speak again, only to feel a second and more gentle kiss brush against the same spot. This teasing would be the death of him, he felt himself begin to lose his balance and lean back; legs uncrossed. She followed, right hand shifting from the bed to hold the right side of his neck; the side she wasn't kissing.

He tries to think through the haze, tried not to think about his body failing him beneath her crushing confidence. Maybe it was how he was phrasing it; he tried to be more assertive. "I-I-I need to kn-know, B-Blaze; h-how much do you love me?"

"You're so naïve." It hadn't worked; with her hand to brace against him she was able to deepen the kiss further than before. And then he felt it, a pinching sensation against the soft skin of his neck. A love bite, a tiny one, but a love bite none the less. It was at this point, Blaze leaning into him, that Silver lost control; his back met with the bed sheets and thus Blaze towered over him once again.

But now he could finally catch her eyes in his, he tried to lean up and this time asked a different question. A question he was sure would get a different answer, an answer he already knew. "D-Do you love me Blaze?"

She crawled onto the bed, straddling his waist; the fingers of her right hand began to intertwine themselves within his chest fur while the left cupped his cheek. There was sincerity in her eyes as she spoke, an honesty Silver knew. "Of course I do."

"I-I know, but I r-really want to know…" His elbows dug into the mattress behind him in an attempt to prop himself up against her; she was smiling down at him… he had to ask again. "How much do you love me?"

That smile deepened, "You're so naïve." She moved in,

"W-Well…" No, he couldn't stutter, he had to do this right. He grit his teeth and looked up to her, "If you're not going to tell me how much you love me, then I'll have to show you how much I love you."

Without hesitation he pushed himself up; arms wrapping around her back he took her mouth in his, he'd been quick lest she cut him off. Their teeth had clashed at first; perhaps he had been a little too fast, but as his hands pulled across her back he managed to show his love more clearly. His tongue glided into her mouth, pushing past her fangs to meet with hers before his eyes closed. It had become rare for Silver to lead like this, usually this all happened in his mouth and so while he wanted to show how much he cared the hedgehog was rather unsure how to do this. He furrowed his brows and fought through that thought, he had said he was going to do this and so he had to do it!

He kissed her with all the love he could muster, all the power he could put behind it. She was his partner, the person he'd give up the world for had it been his choice. He had lost her so completely, not just her person but his memories of her, only to stumble upon her by some miraculous twist of fate; they had reconnected and their bond had grown only stronger. She was meant more to him than anything ever would or even could, that was the true nature of his feelings. In that brief time during their last life, just after she'd left him, he'd dreamed of just seeing her again; having her back beside him had been more than he could have dreamed but to lie here with her and take her lips in his still seemed completely impossible to him.

His tongue pulled back to those fangs, pushing against them, and she followed without hesitation. His right hand slid up to cup her ear in an attempt to deeper angle the kiss, plunging further into her mouth and tasting more and more. Every touch of their tongues stunned him a little; it took real effort to prevent hers from pacifying his but he managed to push back for a good few minutes before ending this kiss; panting slightly. "I-I… I don't think I expressed it fully but th-that's part of it at least." He released her from his grasp, falling back to the bed, but kept his eyes locked on her; there was a redness to her face, a look which told him despite his ineptitude he'd gotten his feelings across. His eyes had closed, attempting to fully recover, when he felt the weight of a hand on his chest.

Blaze was looming above him again, the redness hadn't left her cheeks but there was a determination in her eyes. Still unwound; quills, fur and mind dishevelled, he heard her demand; "Ask me again."

He didn't hesitate. "How much do you love me?"

Her eyes closed, her fanged smile grew and her head lowered, nuzzling to reach his neck. It was with that she pounced; his body began to quake as sharp fangs traced kiss after long kiss up his neck, surely leaving a trail in their wake. Eventually, she rounded from chin to cheek before hanging over his mouth, "You're so naïve."

This kiss would be anything but a brief tease. Jokes about the flames of passion were far too easy to make about Blaze but, as her lips met with his, he felt as though those flames were shining a whole lot brighter. It'd started with the feeling of fangs on his lip, opening him up rather than catching him mid-sentence this time, before her left hand came up to tilt his head; right beginning to claw as it raked through his chest fur. There was no denying it; she'd already taken a far deeper control of him than he had of her. Pressing down on him he felt her tongue shock his for a moment and fill him with warmth before drawing back, taunting him to follow… a taunt he'd fall for every time. His eyes widened when he realised quite how far he'd allowed her to draw him though, he'd realised his tongue had left his mouth just in time for it to reconnect with hers. He slid into the bliss, eyes closing as she continued to lead him; their mouths would part just long enough for her to take a breath, consistently surprising him both on the release and the reuniting of their lips… albeit that meant he was gasping by the third but she finally gave him time by the fifth. He'd try to run his hands through her hair, over her back, but truth be told she it was like she was completely blanking his mind. Over the course of the exchange he would feel her tail wrap and unwrap around his legs, she'd tug his chest fur within an inch of its life and his quills that had already been messed would become practically unrecognisable. Eventually though it, of course, had to end, still sat atop him she slowly pulled back.

"That was but a fraction of how much I love you." Now she had pulled back he could see the extent of her embarrassment, ears curled down and deeply blushing. "I simply wanted you to understand; some things cannot be expressed through words. I thought eventually you might ask me to show you how much I love you but…" The redness had begun to fade, confidence returning in its place. "I suppose I'd prefer to keep things as they went." And with that, she'd lean in again, clearly intent on sharing another fraction with him.


	15. Morning Person

The world was a jumble of warmth and softness; Blaze the cat lay still, immersed in her bed sheets and her head set atop her favourite pillow. The feel of the pillows gentle rise and fall beneath her, coupled with the consistent thud that filled her ears, would surely return her to the depths of sleep if she allowed it; stoking a lust for bed rest already kindled by the dry taste in her mouth and the heaviness of her eyelids. What a dangerous pillow Silver made another moment of this and she'd surely break her eternal routine; early to rise and late to sleep, the status quo for a guardian and a princess. She'd pass the threshold of her bedroom and the outside world would be awash in responsibilities and duties, yet as she lay here upon him… they seemed to keep sleeping her mind.

Blaze slowly heaved her left eyelid open, the right side of her head pressed firmly into the hedgehog's fluff, and shifted slightly to take in his sleeping form. The world was still cloaked in a subdued cyan, pulsing ever so slightly brighter as his heart throbbed, but it was all the light she needed. His eyes were still closed, mouth hung just slightly open but upon those lips, she could see his resting smile and there wasn't a single crease to his brow. Those quills needed arranging though, the top left one had dropped to hang over his closed eye while the centre and right quills were clumped together; he was awfully good at looking foolish, low purrs began to resonate with her breathing. He wasn't dreaming tonight, as he so often did, no; that would have been characterised by a fitful sleep and a much-amplified expression to his face, be it a broad grin or the deeply furrowed brow of his nightmares.

She let her eye drift closed for a moment, having one last nuzzle at his chest fur, before making the attempt to rise… only to find herself in a rather comprising position. His arms were beneath the duvet and wrapped around her, fingertips couldn't be more than an inch from the hem of her long, grey, nightshirt and his legs were on either side of hers. Pushing the embarrassing aspects of their positioning aside, those hands had surely been on her back last night, this position would make moving difficult. Freeing herself from his clutches could mean awakening him, something she wanted almost as little as to rise in the first place, but it wasn't as though laying here with him was truly an option.

There had been a time when she'd have taken this positioning as a sign from the universe she was destined to stay in bed, that she was destined to lower her head back to his chest and embrace the comfort he brought her, but in this new life, for as many times as they'd lain like this, she hadn't once lingered. How many nights had it been … twenty… thirty now maybe? Inconsistently of course; try as he might sometimes she would burn the midnight oil for too long and the hedgehog would fall asleep and then there were the times they'd be forced apart for a day or so, attend their individual duties, but these periods of absence were strengthening this pillow's sway over her. Did he have to be so soft, so comforting; that patch of overgrown and unkempt white fur was like a siren's call or a honeyed lullaby. The feline's cheek longed for the warmth, though this was a warmth of the heart rather than temperature, and to sink into that patch of cloud. To allow her heavy eyelids to seal once more, for her pillow to absorb all of the world's troubles and fill her mind with dreams. To push her temple into the softness and be rewarded with that sweet thrumming of his heartbeat, she'd become satisfyingly lost in the sound… it wouldn't take very long. A couple seconds, maybe a minute, of lying there and she'd fully return to her sleeping state.

But no, she had to fight this, she wasn't just Blaze the Cat anymore; she was Princess Blaze, she had responsibilities to her kingdom that had to be upheld, there would be no slacking. She held herself above him, arms straightened at his sides, but once again her eyes fell upon his sleeping face. Her purring ceased, she groaned, and closed her eyes tight; trying to ignore that restful smile. Did it have to be so tempting? Another ten minutes of sleep, even just another minute, her head was feeling much too heavy and she could still feel the fatigue of yesterday's business. she only had two true options. She could open her eyes and be swayed by his resting face or close them and allow herself to be dragged back into the depths of sleep.

Who was she trying to fool, if she really wanted to she could open her eyes and simply look away; force herself from him and rise to go about her day. She'd accepted it as inevitable moments earlier, that there was no choice to be made; she was to get up and prepare for work. But then, if it was so simple, why hadn't she? Her head was growing heavier, elbows beginning to buckle. She managed to peel open an eye only to see he'd shifted slightly, quills now jostled to the left; they really did need sorting. Blaze reached out with her left hand to brush them back but her right arm was unwilling to bear the burden alone; as she gently pushed his quills passed his eyes she felt her torso lower to realign with him. Slowly her head started to turn, his fluff began to caress her cheek, and all the while she kept stroking those quills; would they ever sit nicely? Could they not sit still for one moment? Or were they fine, had she just constructed a foolish excuse to lean against him once again? She could hear the sound of his heart, already she could feel her breath softening; eventually, she stopped petting him and lowered her hand to his shoulder. Fingers mingling and entwining with the fur that wrapped around his scruff.

She'd hated mornings here, she always had; getting up early to run around and attend duties she hadn't even chosen for herself. Dragging herself off the pillow from the age of five for tasks that so often could have waited another hour or two, it wasn't as though every day was filled to the brim; today could easily be one of the ones where she'd guard the emeralds on her person and that would be it. Nothing to read, no one to meet, just simple busywork… Gardon would probably worry but then he'd worry even if she were on time. At least now, as often as was possible, her mornings weren't spent alone; awakening alone was very different from doing it alongside someone else. But then; he hadn't awakened yet…

The purring began again, flowing in time with her breathing. She kept that single amber eye open though, just a little bit longer; this was the last opportunity she had to throw back the covers and… oh, what was the point in even considering it now? Really she just wanted to watch his sleeping face a moment longer, those quills she'd only succeeded in messing further and the gentle smile he wore; a good image to sleep on. Her head had fully reunited with his chest, it was only a matter of time; there was no coming back from this. Blaze managed to drag herself a little further up his body, pushing the crown of her head beneath his chin; a pose only achievable in this state, both due to their lying position and the absence of a ponytail atop her head.

The fact of the matter was that she had chosen this, she could have forced herself up, but the deck had always been stacked against her. She was Blaze the cat, the Princess of the sol dimension, responsible and self-sacrificing; but Blaze the cat certainly wasn't a morning person. Having him here wasn't helping that, not in the slightest, but if that was the only detriment to having him here then she supposed she'd endure it. Besides, while he was keeping her trapped here, at least made an excellent pillow. With a yawn, fangs glinting passed her lips, her left eye would close and with it, she was lost from the awakened world.


	16. Mistletoe

The crunch of snow underfoot, the gentle graze of a sharp wind against a cheek, December's winter had finally arrived and one Amy Rose was more than prepared. The pink hedgehog was far along a forest path, leading up to a great frozen lake. Said path was covered in a thin sheet of snow, on both of its sides proud evergreen oaks grew strong. The entire zone had been transformed into a picturesque stretch of snowy aesthetics, from the way snow caught on the branches dark green leaves to the way it gently cascaded from the sky; covering her long passed footsteps. This would be it, this time and this place, she was going to get a kiss from Sonic; it was guaranteed!

But why had she picked this point? Why this time? The answer was twofold. The first answer was that tarot reading, coupled with a dose of her own intuition, had promised her that Sonic would pass through here. To an outsider that would appear foolish but Amy had long come grown trust her convictions, more often than not they were right in some capacity; even if often not quite as she'd hoped. The second prompt was a quirk of this part of the path, at this point two overhanging branches had grown to tangle; that made this the only point where the two sides, divided by the path, got to meet. It was so perfectly romantic! So wonderful! She could feel her cheeks warming and her heart thumping just thinking about it, she'd had no choice; it had to be here! But still, there had to be more fanfare than that, this was to be their first kiss after all; she had made sure not only to guarantee that he'd kiss her but that their first kiss would be something special.

Twelve sprigs of mistletoe were hung from the conjoined branches, their white berries appearing and disappearing as the snow cascaded down, and at the apex of the branches, she'd hung a pair of great golden bells tied with red ribbon. Even if he somehow missed the beauty of the sight he'd certainly pause at the sight of the bell, it'd be perfect! He'd be running along, catch sight of her ahead, look up and see the bell and from there see the sprigs of mistletoe she'd so perfectly lined up! He'd have no choice but to kiss her, even if it was just a light smooch as he bolted past, it was a tradition after all!

She could see it now; how he'd slide to a halt, kicking up snow, and catch her in his arms. He'd gently press his lips to hers, undoubtedly no more than a peck, but if she hung on tight she'd get to kiss him a second time. Of course, he'd speed off afterwards, make some have baked attempt at a smooth exit, but she'd cling to him for as long as she cou-

Amy's ears spiked up, turning as she heard the far-off echoing of laughter. Someone was coming but those were the fast footfalls of sonic; she couldn't even hear steps, as she cupped her ear and listened she could only just hear the sound of two people conversing. Those voices… oh! Oh, it was them, oh this was going to be brilliant! Without hesitation Amy threw herself into the treeline, creeping along the path to get a better view of the archway; she had to see this, no matter what happened she was certain it would be adorable. She turned from the archway toward the oncoming path and, after waiting for a couple of minutes; she saw purple and grey on the horizon, mist loosing from their mouths. Walking hand in hand!

Silver was on the left (further from Amy) so, when the time came, it'd be his expressions she'd see when they turned to kiss. Almost a shame, Silver was so easily flustered while the cage around Blaze's heart was double locked… fortunately, that hedgehog had both keys, he just hadn't checked his pockets or the lack thereof. They'd separately confided in Amy on separate occasions, it was hilarious quite how cowardly they were about this; usually, they were both so steadfast in their convictions, yet despite being so devoted to one another they couldn't manage a simple I love you. Amy could see it even in how they looked at one another; his bright yellow eyes never leaving her and her amber orbs locking and unlocking to his with such consistency, only occasionally glancing ahead. Oh, was that a basket in his free hand? A picnic by the frozen lake, whose idea had that been? Was her shoulder rubbing against his every so often? As they walked passed, Amy, switching from one side of the tree to the other, couldn't help but notice even more. Was her tail hovering around his far side as some kind of barrier, failing to touch him by millimetres? Oh, it was? And was she holding his hand to keep him warm or was holding his hand keeping her warm? Probably both. It was undeniable; this was absolutely a date, whether they knew it or not. Well, after they kissed they'd surely see it for what it was, they were so lucky to have her as their personal cupid; albeit by accident on this occasion. They were so dense to these things. Now, just what were they talking about?

"…I'm not sure where the idea of the flying reindeer comes from, or where the big red guy is supposed to get them, but it's all over the place this time of year. They'll cut reindeer shaped biscuits and depict them on walls and make little statues to hang from their trees. It's not really a tradition so much as imagery I guess? There are some really pretty ones." Ahhh, the sol dimension must not have the same traditions as this one... that means he'll have to explain the mistletoe! Hopefully, he knows about it. "There are other animals too, like robins and seasonal birds, that are associated with it. Certain foods like turkey are too because they're eaten more often, is that more like your winter festival?"

"Yes that's much more like it, it seems ours is much less… magical than this dimension. No tales about some flying red man, no present exchange, it's much more of a get together with dancing and music with fewer fanciful elements. The great bonfire that rounds it all out being an exception, people burn two slips of paper; first one listing their successes of the past year and then one of their ambitions for the coming year. It supposedly makes their past actions secure while making their goals more likely to occur." Christmas in Blaze's dimension didn't sound as good but Amy was certain the grey hedgehog would show her an amazing time, he would soon regardless of his other plans.

"Oh like new years resolutions? I don't think people do the past stuff here but they certainly have ambitions for the future! Oh and fire's associated with winter too here, probably because it's cold, people huddle around fireplaces… oh, and there's chestnut roasting; I brought some of those with me so we could try that one out! I want to do a lot of traditions with you, seeing as we've missed out on so many from here." Aww, how sweet, now come on! You're almost there, notice already; take the bait!

"And then I'll do the same for you, I want our first winter reunited to be special." Almost as Amy had thought it Blaze seemed to take the bait, her head tilting skyward as they walked into the shadow of the arch. Their walking came to a halt, Silver immediately seemed to realise; eyes finally breaking from his crush they were cast to the snow, redness had spread from his chin to the very tips of his ears. So he did know! Yes yes yes! Blaze meanwhile was staring unknowingly, seemingly admiring the craftsmanship, yet she so often thought him the oblivious one; they both were in their own ways. "Oh, is this a traditional decoration? It's quite pretty, I don't recall seeing those white berries before." So she doesn't know! Oh Silver, are you getting tickled pink? It looks like he's really suffering, how could he forget to tell her the best tradition?

Amy's staring almost cost her this whole operation, as Silver frantically scanned their surroundings she pinned herself back against the tree; now only able to listen… she'd steal another glance or two when the heat died down. "U-Um… yes it is…I wonder who put it up…i-it's mistletoe."

"That sounds vaguely familiar… Silver, are you okay? You're looking quite red." Oh, he's better than alright, at least he will be. This'll be the highlight of his day, probably the season if not his year! The cat shuffled even closer to her hedgehog. "Is it too cold? Am I making too much heat? I can let go if-

"N-No Blaze, it's just… the tradition tied to this is… um…that plant is called mistletoe and…" His voice was strained, every word coupled with a stutter. Would he even describe it to her? Would he hide it from her? Amy hadn't considered that... well, if he did, perhaps an observer would appear from the treeline and remind him. "Wh-When… two people stand u-under the mistletoe they… they're supposed to… um…" Amy dared to round the tree just in time to catch him saying it; "They kiss…"

Immediately they turned away from one another, though she couldn't see her eyes it was clear Silver's gaze was locked on the ground while Blaze was staring up at the archway; her entire posture had changed. Her tail was no longer wrapped around him; rather it had coiled around her own left leg as if to anchor her in place. Her big ears had straightened, her free hand kept trying to bat away and uncoil her own tail. It was hard not to laugh as the snow around them began to vanish, grey concrete slowly being uncovered by a wave of heat; he must have been boiling. Blaze spoke… well… she tried to; her voice was near silent. "I see." They were still holding hands…

Time passed, it could have been a minute or it could have been an hour, but regardless of how long it felt for Amy surely felt even longer for them. They had an opportunity to kiss, a perfect opportunity, were they really going to waste it? "I-I mean it's just a tradition, a-and it's not like anyone's around to make us… a-and even if they were if you don't want to we don't have to." He went to start walking.

Oh no, they were going to waste it. How could-

Blaze wasn't moving, their eyes must have met again; his cheeks flared once more. "I…" Her vision fell to his boots for a moment; she shook her head and looked back to the archway. She was speaking but her words were lost on the wind, Amy could feel her fingers rending against the cold bark as she edged further and further from her hiding place in an attempt to hear… but she almost didn't have to. Silver's reaction and response told her more than enough. The way his jaw fell and eyes popped out of his head only for him to rather quickly, and poorly, attempt to subdue his expression.

His eyes now glued to her feet he answered her unheard question, "Y-Yes, as long as you're okay with it I would… yes, I… y-yes."

Her tail unwound from her leg, Blaze took two steps and was now aligned with him; directly beneath the mistletoe. Her back turned; they were face-to-face… yet they were not eye-to-eye. Not yet at least, her free hand extended and he shifted the picnic basket onto his forehand to take it. Still, their eyes hadn't met, her eyes were locked upon the bell while his were on his feet. Finally, Amy heard Blaze's voice again, "We should… probably look at each other if we're going to do this."

"Y-Yes…" Despite that their eyes still hadn't met; did they have to be so adorable? What was going through their heads? Oh, Amy's intuition was tingling, it was taking every once of her determination not to squeal. He was surely worried he'd mess up the kiss, well they both would be but that'd be on the forefront of his mind, while Blaze would probably fearing for the long-term ramifications of this; still not believing he agreed to the kiss in the first place… well, again, they'd both be thinking that. Regardless of their minds, Amy could see their hearts even clearer; they were pounding at their chests like jackhammers, dying to elope from their clueless vessels.

Finally, Silver looked up, closed his eyes and leaned… half way in. His head wasn't even tilted, he was clearly sweating and his redness hadn't faded in the slightest. While this action appeared childish Amy saw it for what it truly was, a checkmate of sorts to skirt his embarrassment. This meant Blaze would have to make the final move! That… or he just really had no idea how to kiss. Maybe a bit of both, probably a bit of both. They were still hand in hand, would she be able to do it? How long would-

Before Amy could finish her chain of thought the purple cat had tilted her head, were here eyes closed? Blaze made up a quarter of the distance, Amy watched as the cat's tail rounded his back once more and she took a deep breath before finally, their lips collided! Amy tore a chunk out of the tree trying to root herself, she wanted a better view! But getting it might mean ruining this; she wasn't willing to risk that. From her angle it looked to be a very surface level kiss but over its course, which the pink hedgehog would note to be quite a long time, the two appeared to relax more and more; her tail went from hovering around his back to snaking around him, their grasp on one another lost its tenseness and notably loosened; almost to the casual grasp they'd had walking side by side. With a little easing their heads became evenly tilted.

Soon after that their lips did separate but, rather to the surprise of Silver, the parting of their bodies didn't come so quickly. "Was…did that fulfil… the requirements of the tradition?"

Once again he was fully reddened, usually, he'd be throwing his hands around to gesticulate but with them held he couldn't exactly do that. His quills bounced almost to match as he shook, just a little, "I-I think so, I, uh-

A second kiss!? How daring, how sudden, his eyes went wide; watching surprise transition to comfort as his shoulders slacked. This one was much briefer but appeared to have an equally profound effect on the hedgehog, when her lips left his he somehow looked even more embarrassed, assumedly the opposite to the effect she'd intended… right? "Are you certain now?"

"Y-Y… uh…" Had she stolen his tongue? "Th-Thank you?" Did he just thank her for kissing him? He was such an idiot, but he was so clearly her idiot.

The feline shook her head and, finally Amy could tell; she was just as red as her crush. "You're so naïve." One hand dropped but her tail was still wrapped around him, she led the way as he (rather quickly) overcame his stunned state. The event finally over Amy, still behind the tree the tree, allowed herself a small jump for joy. Had it been their first kiss? It certainly looked like it, oh how she'd be able to tease the pair of them… would they confide in her that they'd kissed? Oh, she couldn't wai-

Almost as much as she couldn't wait to hear those rapid footfalls. Her prediction had come true, the prologue was complete and a high bar had been set. Stepping back onto the path, feeling invigorated, she refused to be outdone by that awkward pair!


	17. Touch Starved

There was a tension in the air he could not shake, a bizarre pressure Silver couldn't recall ever feeling prior. He couldn't remember this jittery, longing, feeling in this lifetime or the last; a strange sense of want though he was lost on what exactly he wanted. Sat upon a couch in the house of one Amy Rose, a TV mumbling away in the corner, it had been a very long day. The pink hedgehog was seeing to Sonic in another room, making certain he got proper rest after a hard fought victory. It wasn't that anyone was particularly injured so much as tired; everyone had given their all in a final battle and that included the girl sat next to him.

Prior to today's events he hadn't remembered Blaze, they'd met and got along but were no more than acquaintances in his mind, but when he'd stumbled and she'd gone to help him physical contact had rekindled memories long lost to time. He'd fought alongside her before, he'd lived alongside her before and he'd cared for her in a way he'd never cared in this life; someone he was willing to give the world for. But of course, they'd remembered on the battlefield; there'd been no time to embrace and release that emotional build up. And now, sprawled on opposing ends of a dark red couch, Amy had left and given them the perfect opportunity to share their feelings.

But neither had the energy left to think about how they felt, let alone talk; Silver was sure that was why they weren't. Was that what this longing was? A need to talk to her, to be with her and… and what? What did he want to do? Apologise for failing her? Ask if she was okay? Weep and be wept upon? Fulfil some kindness he was too tired to think up? He cast his yellow eyes to her, to try to read her and understand whether the feeling was mutual, only to find her amber orbs were already upon him. She looked as tired as he felt, just as he met those eyes they closed for a moment before straining to reopen, but looking beyond that tiredness Silver could see something else.

He felt something atop his hand, looking to it he found hers, and then he heard her speak. "Can I come closer? I-I want to lie like we used to..." Her voice was barely audible over the television but he immediately knew what she meant. Realisation dawned upon him, outside his aid this prior day when had he last been held… when had he last held someone? Had he ever in this lifetime? Had she ever?

Recognising this he nodded, "I-I think I'd like that… a-a lot." Bodies immediately began to shift. First Blaze pressed down atop his hand, gently crawling her way across the couch toward him, while he pulled up his legs to lie beneath her. In a matter of moments, the two were eye to eye once again, her frame barely held above his. He felt her hand shift from his right side, lingering just above his chest fur before, after catching his eyes for a signal of consent, descending. A low rumble filled the air, blurring the voices emanating from the television, a purr he hadn't heard in so long; with it, her body lowered. Though her head was still raised her gaze had split from his, now focused on his chest fur she traced loops and figure eights in his fluff. Gentle but thorough, he could feel himself tremble a little under every movement; he would gasp and flinch as she passed over injured areas but soon she was expertly navigating them… caressing wounds more healed and patches never wounded. He wasn't used to this… at least, this body wasn't. He had to readjust to her comfort.

Silver delicately traced his hand up her shoulders, around the back of her head and to rest near the edge of her right ear. At this, he felt Blaze's movements pause for a beat, as if expecting him to continue, but, still shaking, he was unsure what to do. Eventually, the feline's head shifted, pushing his hand past her ears and to the base of her ponytail. Hand now squarely atop her head she shifted once more and he felt her hair tie begin to give way to the edge of his forefinger. Now understanding he gently loosed her ponytail, her hair cascaded down; hanging just beyond her shoulders. The hairband quickly forgotten, tossed aside, he ran his fingers through her locks, smoothing them and gently untangling the knots that had formed. Slowly, gently, everything began to synchronise; as he brushed through her hair she'd weave through his fur and with every completed act would begin an echoing purr. He could feel himself beginning to slip into sleep but, while he was sure it'd be the best sleep of this lifetime, he refused. He wanted to watch her drift off and, above that, he wanted to feel her for just a little longer.

He looked to her eyes, still locked upon his chest fur, he'd missed the warmth those amber orbs exuded even if he hadn't remembered them. Despite how he last recalled those eyes, looking down to him as she drifted into the sky, they still shone to him like nothing else. Silver gently raised his free hand, gently running it along her spine to rest between her shoulder blades; gently pulling her in even closer. In response to this, the hedgehog felt his partner shift, her body got a little closer to his but it was her own free arm that moved the most; he felt it graze along his shoulder and behind him before settling around the back of his neck. It was only then that Blaze's head lowered, the right side of it now resting on a pillow comprised of her arm and his fur. She continued to make shapes and patterns in his fur; perhaps more confident in where to touch she was now utilising her full hand to press and sift through the patch. Silver had never quite understood why she started doing it but, whenever she did, it caused him to relax in a manner he'd been unable to otherwise. The girl he now knew to be a princess could pin him down with but a brush of a hand over that patch, send him spiralling into a void of unending comfort.

This was what he had been longing for. Physical contact. Her body's not quite how he remembered, he's sure his isn't either, but her differences are so obvious to him. He couldn't quite describe it at first, she was just… different in a way he thought wonderful, but gradually, as their frames moulded to fit one another, he began to understand. So much of her fur was smooth now, near devoid of the injuries that had once plagued them, and, while she was still light, access to food had undone the damage of a world with food so scarce. Well, it wasn't that the work had been undone; the world where they'd suffered together no longer existed. She'd no longer been emaciated; his partner had lived comfortably. This was the same Blaze in mind but in form… she was healthy. When she'd vanished from his life he'd thought her body would have been rendered ash as Iblis broke free, but instead, he'd found her in a far better state than he was. She was beautiful; as he felt her purr against him it was all he could think, she always had been but to see her like this it just...

The universe had been so unkind to them, beating and burning them before tearing them apart and rending the fragments to nought, and while things still weren't perfect, he still had scars, it was a miracle to see her alive let alone for her to be like this.

He felt his breathing start to hitch and as it did he had to stop brushing through her hair, he told himself that their positioning made it difficult to continue anyway. That hand lowered to her shoulder but as it did he felt her stop and watched her turn to him through eyes growing blurrier by the moment. Her purring quickly resumed, he felt her shift again; a hand on his collarbone to help pull her up, aided by the arm behind his neck. Was he been more tired than he'd thought? Blaze seemed to be managing far better than he was. She was now eye to eye with him but before he could try to speak or even listen he leaned in and felt her forehead gem push into him. Words snuck from her lips to his ear, "I missed you… so much." He could feel her shaking; between the purrs, her breathing had become unstable.

Silver understood completely. The truth was, up until today, neither of them had carried the burden of remembering enough to miss the other, while they might not have been happy neither of them had been left longing. Their ignorance had built up an emotional interest and, having been unable to unleash it when they remembered, its dam had overflown. His voice trembled in a way it never had prior, "I-I need to be with you… I-I don't… w-without y-you I… I don't kn-know…" His tongue and mind were failing him but his heart and soul knew what he wanted. He pushed further into her, feeling his movements reciprocated he spoke once more, "I can't let you go, n-not again."

He felt her shift, pulling above him and burying her face in his quills. Though she was healthier this was still Blaze in the wake of battle, he couldn't help but croak a small smiling cough as the familiar scent of smoke tripped him. But beyond that smell, there was another sensation. Silver felt wetness, one outside the burning on his cheeks that he'd been trying so hard to ignore. The feline shifted further, he could feel her breath against his ears; no fewer than three times the words jumbled in her mouth. "I-I wanted you safe and… but…you're still scarred… you've been..." So she had noticed just as he had, the bodily differences. He knew she wo-

Blaze's voice interrupted his strained train of thought. "I can't let go either." Her hands slipped to his cheeks, he felt gloved hands gently pass over his eyes. When they reopened he was absorbed by her golden stare, those her cheeks reddened by tears and blush. While he imagined his face was the same, with all these emotions spiralling in his head he felt raw yet numb simultaneously and couldn't quite tell. His vision was beginning to blur again, his body craved rest, but again heart and soul were guiding him. He inched a little closer. She did the same. His head tilted, muzzles were aligned. Her eyes closed, the divide was sealed. A tearstained kiss, in the home of a friend, shared beneath a forgotten TV muttering who knows what. If they'd remembered across this life, of all the ways to reconcile their lost time, it'd be the last to come to mind. Longing to shed their insecurities but lacking the strength to shift them, letting the other know how much they meant in the simplest way possible. It was a kiss that tasted of dried sweat more than anything else but more than got the point across.

By its conclusion Silver didn't have the capacity to speak or open his eyes let alone move, his arm would remain on her back as he felt her head lower to his shoulder. He managed to stay awake a moment longer though and was rewarded, in the wake of that kiss he heard the rumbling purr of his partner. Satisfied in thinking that she'd slept first he finally drifted off, engulfed in Blaze's warmth.


	18. Stars

"Blaze! Blaze! Blaze!" A hedgehog's bleat echoed across the burning city; spiking the ears of the very child it called.

It took her less than a second to sight his aura wrapped form, brightly contrasting with the dark grey sky. "Silver!"

A purple kitten, only eight years old, sat on a park bench that had long lost its park. Crisis city had no place for playthings, let alone the children who would play with them, and yet here she and her newfound partner persisted. She watched his approach, as he descended he looked more like a giant cyan blotch than the hedgehog that lay beneath. As he touched down, that aura quickly dissipating, she saw a light in his bright yellow eyes she'd come to know as excitement; amplified by a grin much too large for his tan muzzle. He threw himself down beside her, slinging a giant drawstring rucksack from his back and beginning to dig through it.

"Just a second, maybe a moment, well maybe a little more than…" Silver, as she had come to know him, continued to prattle nothings as he dove into the bag.

He pushed past the important supplies she'd sent him out for (tinned food, sewing kits and simple creature comforts) clearly searching for a single specific item. She hadn't known him for long, though she'd known of him far longer than she'd known him, she knew what those sparkling eyes meant. Something quaint, harmless and more than a little childish was about to be revealed; it might be some toy he thought she'd like or scrap of the past world, perhaps a painting of some flowers or a picture of the city in its prime. Silver was an oddball; he fought Iblis monsters where others ran and saw pieces of the past as what could be rather than what was. While most (including herself until recently) were focused on day-to-day survival, his one-track mind led him to live a harder was; fighting to fix the world so survival would be easier. He was naïve, as she'd come to so often say, but in endearing in a way that gave her some semblance of hope. Most important of his eccentricities was the way he saw her powers; looking upon her flames with the excited eyes he'd just worn while others were quick to scowl at them.

Finally, his mumbles broke into a yell. "Got it, finally, here it is!" The hedgehog was half in his bag, grunting and groaning as he struggled to free himself. Rolling her eyes Blaze reached in, taking him by the shoulder and helping to free him; whatever he'd found it was heavy and, competent as he was with his powers, his physical strength was somewhat lacking. Finally free, quills spiking as they returned to the open air, he held a large, thick, book in his hands; its cover so faded she could only read the title, Night Sky Atlas.

Blaze's tail flicked, ears spiking slightly higher; usually she had some inkling of what these exciting items were or why they were important to him but in this case, she knew neither. He hadn't even opened it he was just smiling, hugging the tome to his chest and very nearly crushing himself. The kitten felt curiosity stir within her; a feeling she would have quashed a few months prior in an attempt to focus on survival. She looked to the book's blurb but found it'd completely faded, not a single hint.

"I've been looking for something like this ever since I met you, I finally found it!" He plopped the book onto his lap, smile threatening to tear his face as he turned back to her, "This book is going to help you so much, I just know it!"

"It's going to help me?" This was very different from his prior surprises, while it wasn't unheard of for him to bring her gifts but for them to specifically help her was a very new concept. Sure there had been useful things, clothes he thought she'd like and blankets, but never something with that caveat. "How?"

"Well, you know how much I like the blue sky?" Oh did she, of all the past things Silver spoke of undoing their perpetual overcast was the most common; how he longed to see the bright sky. Before she could roll her eyes and answer he continued, bursting with excitement. "These show a different one, one I think you'll really like! Do you know about stars?"

Confusion still dominated Blaze but her interest had certainly been piqued, "I don't remember reading about them, are they important?"

"Well, they…" He stumbled, seeming to search for words, "No, I should probably start with what night's supposed to be like. The night's darker than the day, but it's a nice kind of darkness? The sky was black or a really dark blue and it… um…" Silver shifted slightly, opening the book but holding it so she couldn't see, and started flipping through the pages.

Anticipation quickly metamorphosed into impatience, her legs crossed as she cast him a more serious look; a 'we need to get moving soon or Iblis monsters will come' look. It took him a half second to catch it; he picked up the pace of his search, quills bobbing rather ludicrously.

He flinched out an apology, "S-Sorry, I've wanted to do this for so long; I want to do it right, I think I'm almost…" but as he did his eyes relit; evidently he'd found what he'd been looking for. Turned back to her he smiled again, resuming his explanation. "People didn't really talk about the blue sky, not till it was gone at least, but they loved the night sky way before that; it's because of the stars that they loved the sky." His giddiness grew with each word; he could get so excited over these long lost things. "Stars are bright lights in the sky, there are millions and millions of them, and when they come together they look so amazing. People would talk about them all the time, write stories and sing songs about them; that's how important they were. When the sun went down the sky would be lit by beautiful little diamonds, I know it's hard to believe but here."

Silver turned the book to her, shifting it from his lap onto hers. It took a moment to understand what she was looking at; a double page spread covered in strange speckles, littered across a background of blue going black but shifting purple where many dots clustered. This was meant to hang above them? A blue sky was one thing, but this? The longer she stared at the pages, taking the book in her own hands, the deeper the picture seemed to be. Blaze was beginning to understand why the people of the past (and Silver) were so enamoured with the night sky; it looks so alive, especially compared to the sky above.

As surreal as it was Blaze could imagine it; she could envision stars sparkling above. Compared with where they lived a star-filled sky was no stranger than a lush forest or tundra. If the surface could be so bizarre and fascinating then why couldn't the sky?

"This is the best picture I've ever seen of them but they'll be even prettier when we see them for real! They'll glitter and shine, it'll be beautiful!" He often spoke like that, shouting in absolutes about the world they'd fix. He leaned over the book, flipping through the pages. Different sights of different skies shot past, ranging from black backgrounds with white splotches to clusters of stars twisting and forming all kinds of wonderful colours. Finally, he settled on a page; far simpler than the prior sight the sky looked darker, the stars white spots but between some lines had been drawn. "Sometimes they'd make symbols with the stars, connecting the dots to make shapes like these. They thought so much about them, trying to understand if they had deeper meanings."

He reached over the book, pointing out one cluster in particular. "Apparently that one's meant to be a crab called cancer… whatever a crab is. I don't really get it but there are hundreds and hundreds of different shapes with different meanings!"

As she listened to his talk, though enamoured with his discovery, a small confusion began to gnaw at her. "It's a wonderful book Silver but… I don't see how it'll help me?"

"What do you think stars are made of?" His voice cracked with excitement.

She hadn't even thought about that, she'd been too distracted looking at them. "Aren't they made of diamonds, like you said?"

His next words were simple, childish and thoroughly surprising; "Stars are made of fire. You're like a star!"

It was as though time stopped; immediately the pieces clicked. Blaze felt her body warm, ears heightening and eyes widening. She quickly flipped back to the coloured page, immersing herself in the glossy picture. They were made from fire? Fire people weren't afraid of, fire they thought was beautiful? Such fire had existed? Not only did it exist but it'd been hiding above the clouds, hanging over them all this time?

"The first time I read about stars it was in a big book, full or words I couldn't understand, but there was a tiny really pretty picture of the sky in there. I didn't think much of it but then I met you and how people were so mean to you, I knew I had to find out more." He broke from her gaze, his smile had faded a bit, "I know you're not comfortable with your powers right now but… I thought this would help? I know we're surrounded by Iblis' fire and people are scared, but your flames aren't like that! Your fire is way more like the stars!"

Feeling herself flare even further she pushed the book into his lap, jumping from the bench lest she set either of them aflame. Embers started flaking from her fingers, taking to the air, but he was still smiling. Blaze turned away, closing her fists to contain them, "I-I… thank you, Silver, but I'm not…" Words failed her, the last time she'd stuttered like this was upon first meeting him. "I'm not ready to… use them."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and, turning, she found his eyes still sparkled but his brow cast them more serious, "You don't have to do anything, I just don't like you being uncomfortable. You're my partner; I'm supposed to look after you just like you will me! Comparing your flames to stars is one of the easiest ways to do that; because it's so true!" Just as she was going to reply she felt him take her other shoulder. "And if anyone says any different I'll beat them up."

"You don't have to go that far…"

Less than a month later fire would fly freely from her hands.

* * *

A black-blue sky hung above them, speckled by a thousand spheres of harmless fire. She'd died and been reborn in a world where skies like this flitted in and out of existence, appearing once every week or so. They were common enough that, though she'd never stopped to think on it, they'd become banal; hardly worth a glance as she went about her daily duties. Duties, she'd gone from so few to so many in what now seemed the blink of an eye; the transition from protecting one person to protecting an entire kingdom had somehow passed unnoticed. Remembering the life she'd led had been difficult, their emotions had spilt over in a manner she doubted they would again, but in its wake much had become clear. They lay on a hillside together, green grass below and their eyes locked to the sky above.

She was glad to be reminded of the night sky's beauty but, far more importantly, Blaze was happy they could watch the stars together.

Since they'd lain conversation had been scant but, finally, he'd broken the silence. "I thought the sky was like this everywhere, every night, but it's far rarer than that." She felt his fingers brush against hers, his palm moving to top hers. "But seeing it now, here with you… it's way better than I thought it'd be."

Blaze tore her eyes from the stars to look at her partner. He'd grown so much since that day, both in stature and soul, but the light in his bright yellow eyes remained. Silver's heart still stuck to his sleeve, no matter how he tried to hide them his emotions always lingered on the surface. Eyes still fixed to the sky, his smile spoke volumes to Blaze. On the surface, one would think this smile weaker than his over-exaggerated grin but to her trained eye it showed something different, wonderment poured from his eyes but that softer grin showed a loss of desperation. He wasn't clinging to tiny happy fragments anymore, a sparkling sky hung above.

"Blue sky or night, the clouds part eventually." She stated it in a rather matter of fact manner, blunt and honest, but as she did Blaze shifted their grasp, allowing his fingers to slip between hers. "We should make up for lost time, I don't want to lose any more."

The truth was, while he'd compared her to a star he had far more in common with them. A single star that lay before the clouds, bringing light to those trapped beneath the grey sky; the only star you could hold without burning up. But then, he'd thought of her in that way back when they were kids. She supposed they were two markedly different stars, guiding one another in very different ways. One to encourage, prompt them to act, while the other helped bear the first's burdens. A mutual reliance that should never be broken, she wouldn't leave him again.

"Make up for it?" Those sharp yellow eyes were upon her again, "How're we going to do that?"

Blaze rolled her eyes, shifting just a little closer as she turned back to the sky. "You're so naïve."


	19. Cold Crisis

Hell had frozen over. Crisis city had frozen; they'd been here for twelve hours yet the sight still surprised her. In place of lava moats frozen rivers ran through the city, no longer did it rain soot but snowdrifts blew throughout the streets and sent shivers through her partner's core. While her flames protected her from the cold, cowling her body in their natural warmth, that chill concerned Blaze. Silver was already getting sick. They hadn't been here a day, they hadn't begun searching out the calamity's cause, yet he'd started to sniffle. His face had reddened, shivers quaked through his body, and yet, of course, he'd refused to turn back so soon. Well, it wasn't as though they could anyway; they needed a chaos emerald for that. The emeralds could be anywhere on the planet, beneath snow or deep within frozen rivers, that search could take months. And that was ignoring their greater task, to find the cause of this disaster and prevent it.

Even through his sickened stupor, he'd been shouting about how they had to save the future no matter what. Anyone else would think sickness had driven him delusional, and perhaps it had a little, but in truth, it was amplifying his natural disposition. They'd brought a rucksack of food, books and blankets but hadn't prepared for this climate. It'd taken the worst of her frowning and more than a little pushing to have him lay still while she sought out supplies.

That rucksack refilled with alternate goods, she stood at the door of their makeshift abode. They'd chosen a small bungalow that seemed cosy enough to hold warmth, despite the sapping cold of the outside world. It'd been picked specifically due to its for sale sign, poking out just over the snow. Naturally, they didn't want to stumble across bodies preserved in the cold, nor disturb the memories of a long lost family, thus making it an obvious choice.

She pushed open the door, kicking it closed behind her, and quickly made for their bedroom. Thankfully she found him swaddled in bed just as she'd left him, however, terrifyingly, what had started as a pink glow across his cheeks had deepened to red and spread all across his face. Even double covered with duvets he was losing heat. Rather than greet her arrival she heard a low groan reverberate through those sheets, roughly sounding like her name.

Blaze dropped her rucksack, immediately approaching. His breath was no longer visible in the air, punctuated by wheezing; the cold was deep set in his system. She pulled off her right glove and pressed a hand to his exposed muzzle. Despite its redness, his face was cold, his skin felt more akin to porcelain.

Worry was growing, "Silver, can you hear me?"

His eyes briefly opened, thoroughly dulled of focus, and a small smile graced his lips. "Y-You're so warm…" As they closed again she felt him nuzzle deeper into her palm, cold lips pressing against her fingers. She felt them part as he mumbled, "P-Please d-don't go again, I need you…"

Embarrassment flared but it was miniscule next to her worry. He was barely shivering but clearly not for lack of cold. His body had been weakened by the chill, every so often a jitter would run across his body rather than the more consistent and regular shivers she'd seen prior. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving. I found everything we'll need, we can hold up here until you're acclimatised."

As she pulled back she felt him lean into her, groaning out her name as she drifted beyond reach. If he could complain then he couldn't be too bad, she opened her rucksack and drew forth candles of different shapes and sizes. She couldn't start a proper fire indoors; if she did smoke would overwhelm them, so this was her compromise. She started by making a hearth, stationing ten candles atop a bedside cabinet and setting them alight with a point of her finger. Next Blaze lit candles in all four corners of the room, totalling close to fifty, in an attempt to heat the room as a whole. The scent of different lavender strains was a little overwhelming but she was sure he'd prefer it to the cold.

The feline was about to turn back and check on him when she felt a set of arms enclose around her shoulders, with them a duvet had engulfed her. Her breath hitched as his cold muzzle buried against her nape, "You said you wouldn't go…" Couldn't he wait, even for a moment? At least he was strong enough to stand? Blaze felt herself blush, undoubtedly warming further as his frame leant into hers. With this action, he'd offset the worst of her fears, yet simultaneously shocked her. "I need you..."

Blaze pushed her gloveless hand through his back quills, unintentionally pushing him further against her nape. "I'm going to cook us some dinner, then I'll come warm you up. I promise."

"I'm not hungry," He grumbled into her fur, leaning into her with all his weight. "I just… I need you Blaze. Please, I…"

A sigh escaped her lips; she couldn't refuse him, especially not now. Blaze turned in his grasp, wrapping her arms around him. His head went from buried in her nape to pressed against her forehead, she heard him coo and whine as her left hand traced further down his back and stroked warmth into his fur. Despite the gentle effort, Blaze forced a stern look across her brown, attempting to obscure embarrassment. Sick or not, did he have to speak in such an embarrassing way? She'd been trying to fight the butterflies in her stomach, ever since they'd reunited her view of her partner had been edging from platonic to... not so platonic. Perhaps it was age or longing had strengthened her want to be beside him. Regardless, even taking his hand brought such thoughts to mind; now he was wrapped around her, pleading her to stay close. It was more than a little too much. As she nuzzled her forehead to his guilt swelled, while more of the light had returned to his eyes much of it was still lost to the cold. She had to push him away; there would be time for this later. He had to eat, that way he'd warm and regain control. No longer some heat-seeking zombie.

"A-Alright, let's get you back to bed. Even if you're not hungry I am. I'll join you when I'm done." Her words worked, as she uncoiled from Silver his arms slipped from her shoulders. He unleashed a groan, turned, stumbled a few steps and fell into bed. Soon he'd dragged himself up to the pillow and buried his head in it, wisps of steam escaping his form. Even in his sickly form, he cared more about her comfort than his.

It wasn't so much a lie as an omission of truth, of course, she was hungry but she wouldn't be getting into bed until he'd properly eaten. Finally content with his state Blaze found time to shuffle off her shoes, remove her remaining glove and undo her ponytail. They'd stored much of their belongings in an old chest of drawers; food consisted of mostly canned goods (they'd be eating a lot of chunky soup) and dried foods. If they'd known the climate in advance they could probably have brought something more substantial, filled a container with ice and snow to hold meats. At least they wouldn't dehydrate this time, melting snow to make water was as basic as survival got. Bringing bottled water was a waste but, again, they couldn't have known that. At least she could put it to use now. She drew out a spoon, two bottles of water and a cloth, setting them atop the drawers, before finally retrieving a sizable can of soup (beef with chunky carrots, potatoes and mushrooms).

She pulled the tab from the can, setting the metal seal upside down atop the drawer, and gripped the tin with both hands. Heat rolled across her shoulders, coiling around her arms before quickly manifesting at her palms. Crackling orange flames burned away paper labelling and began to blacken the tin, soon the scent of beef broth was made to mingle with lavender for a… less than palatable effect. Still, given his position, he'd surely avoid the food regardless of how appetising it was. She cast a glance back to him; he'd been awfully quiet.

Silver had curled up in the upmost right corner of the bed, face and hands warming against her makeshift hearth. They were smaller but cloudy puffs still escaped his mouth, it meant he wasn't freezing but he was properly shivering now. Cyan light from his shaking hands mingled with flickering candlelight, creating a bizarre pattern on the ceiling where the two fought for space. On her next outing she planned to target clothes, another layer of fur would do him some good, but for now, a warm hand and a piping hot meal would have to…

A stronger scent caught Blaze's nose, fighting past the mixed lavender. Smoke, had a candle caught the walls? She checked to all four corners of the room, double glancing to his quills to be sure they hadn't been set alight. There were no flames but the putrid scent was only getting stron-

Eyes dropped to the can just in time for a boil-like bubble to burst. Black flakes had risen to the soup's surface, its once beige gravy complexion tainted to a gelatinous brown. As was so common with her cooking, the moment she looked away the meal decided to ruin itself. Blaze waved the flames from her palms, still peering at the over-boiled substance. She drew up the spoon and hesitantly plunged it in; fortunately, it wasn't as thick as it appeared. Eyes closed, she braced and pushed the spoonful into her mouth. It wasn't… no, it was, it was bad. Her nose crinkled as she swallowed, it wasn't horrendous but much of the flavour was quickly overpowered by an aftertaste of charcoal. If she tried again she could probably do better, but then that'd be a waste. It wasn't burned beyond edibility… right? She cast him another glance, shivering and steamy breath had already ceased. He couldn't wait, much longer and he'd get seriously sick.

Blaze approached his bedside, bringing the goods she'd collected. Hazy yellow orbs caught amber, "I told you I wasn't hungry…"

Her face formed into a stern glower, again preparing for the embarrassing task at hand. "Sit up, lean against the headboard."

He didn't refuse her but as he went to sit the covers slipped from him, exposing his frame to the cold. A shiver cut through him, eyes clamped shut, but before a moment could pass she'd pulled them around his shoulders. Blaze quickly lowered herself, sitting close beside him and trying to radiate just a little more heat.

"I'm sorry Blaze." Silver's eyes hadn't reopened; brows were knit and mouth drew into a weak grimace. His voice was weak, "I-I'm being a burden, I got too cold and felt too needy. If you were here alone you'd have done so much more already. Instead of looking after me you could be sear-

The spoon was forced past his lips, teeth gently chattered against metal. "If I wanted some apology I'd have made that clear. We're going to get through this, compared to all we've endured this cold is nothing. Besides, we're supposed to look after each other." Satisfied he'd swallowed she pulled the spoon from his mouth. "Sorry it's so overdone, I've not quite got the hang of it yet."

Eyelids finally reopened, he'd (undeniably) forced a small smile. "What're you talking about, it's great."

She rolled her eyes, "Lie to me again and I will want an apology."

Blaze felt a gentle kick from beneath the covers; he was fighting to keep the smile on his face. "I'm not lying, it's so warm, it's wonderful. Th-Thank you Blaze."

"You're delusional, your tongue's so cold that you can't taste how horrible it is. You should be eating, not talking." A spoonful was raised to mask her blush, this time he took it willingly. When it came to her pyrokinesis he'd always been more than supportive, even when it was poorly controlled, but hearing him praise and long for it was too much. Undoubtedly his words were a mix, true words spawned of a mind deluded by cold, but they still stoked the butterflies in her chest. Removing the spoon she managed a more genuine response, "But… thank you, Silver."

"But… all I did was thank you, what're you thanking me for?"

An answer didn't pass her lips; instead, she took another spoonful for herself. The taste was no better but she could handle it, a few more spoonfuls each and the can was emptied. Her effort had succeeded, healthy, steamy, breaths snuck past his lips. She set it aside, dropping the spoon inside, and picked up the bottle.

She took a sip before raising it to his mouth, "I know you're still cold, but you need to drink. You can still dehydrate."

There was a moment's hesitation but soon he took a long sip, content with his effort Blaze set the remainder to an alternate use. Blazed drew out the cloth and drenched it before setting her hand alight, warming it until steam became visible. Snuffling the flames, having boiled off enough that when it cooled it wouldn't freeze, she folded it twice and began to dab across his face; pushing the warmth back into him. As she did he sank back down the bed, quills splaying against the pillows and eyes closing. Guilt was waning as he recovered; she allowed herself a small smile as he nuzzled into her touch. He was like putty in her hands, every warm stroke prompting a reaction as she gradually heated his face, but soon the task was complete. Her smile faded as she folded the compress twice, setting it to top his forehead, but as she went to clamber over him and into bed she felt fingers catch and interlock with hers.

Glancing back she found he'd reached beyond the covers. "Y-You don't have to do this if you don't want to you know, I'll be fine." Despite his stutter, he, curiously, wasn't shivering, even with his right side exposed to the room. Her efforts were clearly working. "You've already done so much and..."

"Of course I want to." Those words had, admittedly, slipped from her throat a little too quickly for her liking. Biting back that thought she went on to explain herself, "This is no different from those first times, back when we were kids in a burning city. Huddling to keep each other safe, now we'll huddle to keep you warm. It'll only get colder as it gets later and besides, I'd do far more than this to keep you healthy." A thought did dawn on her as she spoke, "Are you ok with doing this?"

"I am, I just… wanted to be sure you were. Its been a while and…" Blaze felt him squeeze her hand; using what energy he could muster. "A-As long as you're ok, I'm ok."

As their grip released she watched a small smile spread across his lips, his once rigid form now noticeably more relaxed. She gently crawled over him, peeling back the far edge of the covers and slipping beneath them. Now, how was she going to approach this? She hadn't really considered it. She could bury her head against his chest fur, but then wouldn't that be his warmest part? Should she wrap her arms around him, would he warp his around her? Regardless, Blaze knew she had to get closer.

However, as she went to do so, Blaze recalled why she'd so often lay against his chest. His quills were sprawled across the pillow; she couldn't really approach any other position. "Silver, turn towards me."

There was a small groan, closely followed by the dragging upheaval of his head as he slowly faced her. Immediately her arm coiled around his back and pulled him closer, lest his quills catch on the candles, but as their eyes met she couldn't help but feel a tension. A hint of glazed confusion lingered in those orbs, he clearly hadn't fully recovered, but the whole of their focus was upon her. While they'd remembered each a few months prior contact had been rather limited. Perhaps that was intentional, brought on by these brewing feelings… but then perhaps that's why he thought she was uncomfortable. When had she last held him like this? She'd let her feelings prevent it; her royal position and its public gaze had led her to shirk such contact. But here, there were no eyes upon them. There was no murmuring crowd, only him pleading her to hold her. At the sight of his blushing face, cast in the warm candlelight, Blaze couldn't help but draw closer.

The compress was beginning to slip; she gently pressed her forehead to his in an attempt to hold it still. She heard him coo at the contact, head gently rolling against hers. Blaze pressed her right hand between his spines, feeling the cold skin beneath thick fur. She still had a lot of work to do. Well, she wasn't tired yet anyway. The feline's fingertips began to brush through her fur, tracing heat from the base of his spine all the way up to the scruff of his chest fur. As she did Blaze felt him reach behind her, a hand pressed between her shoulder blades and completed the embrace.

"We'll make it through this like we always have. Through thick and thin, through hot and cold, there's no one in the world I'd rather be with." Lost in the embrace, she'd almost missed those words as they tumbled from his lips.

She felt his legs brush against hers, eyes almost rolled at his delusion. "Silver, we're the only ones still alive here."

There was a pause; she felt his fingers shift a little against her back. "Well… it's still true, even if it means less here. I'll say it again when we're back." Speaking absolutes, not if they got back or stating some other caveat, only that they would and he'd say it again.

This close it was hard to see, but it looked as though the light had fully returned to his eyes. Her efforts had finally succeeded; her warmth had overcome the world's cold. With that thought, a gentle purr started to ebb from her throat. If others were here she'd be fighting to quash it but here, now, they had the privacy of an empty house, let alone an empty world. Time travel gifted them all the time they'd need, she could spend months yet return to her kingdom, not a moment after leaving. Confidence could bloom at its own pace.

Blaze reached to him with her left hand, gently grasping his free hand. His fingers locked with hers, her thumb topped his, and the grasp was pushed into his chest. As its soft fur pressed against the back of her hand, Blaze's tail coiled around his waist. Their steamy breaths were combining; his body had fully aligned with hers.

"In that case, I'll just say this now and I'll repeat it when we return." Blaze's right hand came to toy with his scruff, continuing to heat his soft fur. Purring rumbled to a fever pitch, her forehead pressed against his. "There's no one I'd rather be here with."

His only response was to nuzzle his head against hers and to pull her even closer, comforting mind and body in exchange for her warmth. Soon whispered nothings would fade into yawns. Though he tried to fight it Silver would fall asleep long before she did, fully succumbing to her gentle touch. Blaze watched him for a while; making sure his sleep was peaceful, before closing her eyes. The last souls on a long-dead world drifted into a comfortable sleep, more grateful for the other's touch than tired words could truly convey.


	20. Kinetics

Bored.

A young raccoon was sat on the sand, frowning out to sea as if the waters had somehow insulted her. The horizon was littered with fluffy white clouds; hanging still in the windless sky. Today would have been perfect for sailing. They could have set out from here due west, maybe visit the coral caves or even just hang out and fish the day away; you know, do something fun. But no.

Bored.

Instead, they'd had some dumb date, no not even a date; they'd been way too embarrassed to call it a date! Blaze had insisted they just wanted to spend some time alone as friends while Silver had promised that partners just needed to reinforce their bond and they'd all have dinner together later. A training day, that's what they'd called it, yeah right, more like a trial date. They'd given other excuses to compensate; like that didn't make it even more obvious. Talking about how they were afraid she'd run into the line of fire and get burned or crushed; get too excited and act like some dumb kid. Sure, the stammer in their voices totally hadn't given them away from the start. Maybe there was some truth to the training, but the raccoon was certain that they'd be getting all lovey-dovey afterwards. Probably even during it. Marine knew fine well what was going on and… well... she couldn't help feeling left out. But more important than that she was feeling…

Bored!

The young girl hopped to her feet, frowning her hardest at the horizon. Time was crawling at a snail's pace! It couldn't be later than three, she wouldn't be able to mock them and ask about their date for a solid two hours at least! How could she distract herself till then? Try to sneak a peek at their smooching? Tempting but Blaze would undoubtedly catch her. Play with someone else? But who? Gardon? That uptight landlubber who carried a cutlass, but hadn't drawn it once since she'd met the prude? Even if he'd say yes, which he more than probably wouldn't, his idea of fun would probably be chess or books with no pictures. Gross. It wasn't like she could go to the other dimension either. As fun as the folks there were, crossing the barrier between dimensions too often was apparently 'irresponsible' and an 'abuse of power' and 'dangerous without proper planning.' Something to do with dimensional overlap or fusing worlds or some other nonsense.

Marine kicked up sand, beginning the trek back toward her ramshackle hut; a home she'd constructed from driftwood and surplus wrought iron. She'd made it a good halfway back before something caught her eye. A large chunk of driftwood was floating her way, lingering just beyond the water's edge. Upon closer inspection she understood why it had halted in the shallows, the mass was near four times her length and far wider than her. It was perfect for a new project! That'd distract her more than long enough! Maybe she would carve a canoe… or make some kinda figurehead for her next ship? Yes! A figurehead, she'd wanted to make one of those; a new challenge and a new venture, it'd be perfect! It looked like it could make some kind of lion or… or a shark! Yes, with big pointy teeth and a sharp nose, if she painted it right and bound it in rope it might even look like she'd tied a real one to the ship!

Wading into the shallows Marine gripped its soaked exterior and began to heave, heels digging into the sand and thick tan gloves allowing her to exert all her might but, despite the furrowing of her brow and redness on her face, it refused to budge. Growling slightly she rounded the log, submerged up to her knees, and tried pushing. This got her further and for a moment she thought she might free the husk from its watery grave, it tilted forward, but immediately she felt the strain. With hardly a moment to jump over it, the log had rolled past her and began to float back out to sea.

"Oh come on! You were gonna look so cool!" The raccoon rushed into the depths after it, water reaching the rim of her dress, and gripped the log once again. But between the waves and her lacking physical might, Marine could only halt the trunk rather than pull it toward land. Huffing in defeat she cast her eye to the shoreline, baron; there wasn't a soul in sight. If Blaze were here she could have pulled it from the waters all by herself, if Silver were with her then it'd be shifted with the flick of a wrist. If they tried to come back later it'd be swept to sea or maybe someone else would have taken it. Marine looked down to the wood, running her gloved fingers over its weathered exterior, debating how much she wanted it. She looked back to the sands, nary a seagull let alone a person, so maybe… maybe it'd be okay to use her power for something fun; just this one time. The raccoon leant against the log to keep it stationary as she prepared herself.

She took her right wrist in her left hand, continuing to scan the shore as she slowly rolled the glove up. Strictly speaking, Marine didn't have to remove her gloves to do this but she figured that with the layer of thick cloth removed it'd be much easier to control. Not that she'd practised nearly enough to know that for certain. Her palm and thumb were soon exposed but then came the… well… the big bit. Marine bit her lip, closed her eyes, and finished removing the glove. Opening her left eye she peered down at her right hand and found it cloaked in a mint green light, the glow flowed back and forth from her fingertips; occasionally touching the edge of her wrist before gathering back at her knuckle line. A line traced around each of her fingers, sans her thumb, starting from the knuckle and wrapping around each finger twice before coming to an end at her nail. A small X, its light dulled by her nails, marked these endpoints.

Marine closed her fist, clenching it into a tight ball, and cast her eyes to the ocean's depths. In response, her entire hand was engulfed in a green sphere and, simultaneously, a glowing sphere formed in the water before her. Back still against the log, Marine raised her first and with it, the submerged orb began to rise. The movement of her arm became sluggish, as if it had gained some great weight, but as she moved it up the glowing sphere grew closer to the water's surface. Eventually she tucked her elbow into her side, near the height her top two ribs.

The raccoon pushed off the driftwood, water now at her hips, and as she shifted the orb followed; turning on its axis as she turned to face her target. Now… she'd never really had to control the strength of this, in fact she had no idea if she could, but it seemed this was the only way; she'd just have to hope the wood was tough enough to handle her might! Marine took up a stance, right foot turned right while the left pointed straight ahead; this twisted her body such that her left shoulder was to the driftwood, the orb of mint tinted water was by her side just beneath the water's surface. Already the log had begun to shift, she couldn't hesitate; soon it'd become far more difficult to return to land. The hydrokinetic threw her glowing fist forward, launching a blow best described as a reaching uppercut, and with it the water ball rocketed from the sea; smacking into the wood and launching it skyward.

The impact was… explosive. Needless to say, the driftwood was blasted clear of the water. There was a cacophonous splash as it soared into the sky, spiralling and tumbling from end to end before staking into the ground; a blinding wave of sand excavated in its wake. When the air had cleared Marine could see the log, seemingly intact but firmly rooted in the sand. Well… at least it was out of the water? She smiled, rather impressed with her efforts, though she could feel a combination of sea spray and sweat coating her brow. Looking skyward the Raccoon was met with her green orb, free from the water and following the contact it'd been misshapen. Droplets fell from the construct, as she unfurled her hand and shook away the mint light that surrounded it those droplets became into a downpour. Soon nothing remained of the aqua sphere.

Her hand was back to normal, well… as normal as they could be. The light was back to flowing from her fingers to her wrist rather than forming a sphere around it. She quickly redressed her hand and began to stumble out of the shallows, kicking up the tide and further soaking herself but she didn't seem to notice; rather her attention was taken up by her pursuit of the driftwood and a faint ringing in her ears. The young girl hesitated when she reached dry land, rubbing her forehead slightly, but as the feeling passed the smile returned to her face and she quickly reconvened with the wood. Patting and scanning its outside it didn't look like the wood had been all too damaged, no long cracks running through it though there was some clear chipping where the water orb had made contact; nothing that couldn't be sanded out though! Now she just had to get it back to the hut.

She tried pushing again, kicking up wave after wave of sand, but it wasn't budging! She tried pulling but ended up falling back into the sand, she tried to dust herself off but already being wet the sand clung to her. Her teeth grit, she kicked it… Ow! Well, looked like there was no choice; she'd have to use her power again. But she was too far from the water to manipulate it. Well, that meant she'd have to make some water for herself.

Glancing to her surroundings again, making sure no one was watching, Marine pulled both of her gloves off this time; tossing them to the sands. She took a good five steps backwards, unsure what length of the tree was buried, and extended her left arm. Brows hardened, she dug in her heels and grit her teeth. The light from her left hand fully receded to her fingers, glowing so brightly they became unidentifiable, as she committed herself fully to an action she didn't truly understand. It was unclear how long passed, the sound of the waves filling the raccoon's ears, before eventually, something sounded over it; a high-pitched plink, like a drop of water leaking from a faucet into a filled sink. Her vision blurred, she shuddered as sweat rolled down her ears, but she kept tensing her arm and widening her fingers to their utmost limit. The sound of droplets grew louder, soon turning from individuals to groups of four to the sound of a sieve draining! She began to pant, her head growing lighter again, but through her spinning vision she could see the form of the bark was being bent in some places; a body of water, it's size she couldn't tell, was floating between her and the driftwood.

A wide grin, frequently warped and broken by her panting, had grown on her face. She drew her right arm backwards, holding it tight to her side, before clenching her fist tightly; immediately it was surrounded on an aura of green and the water ball she'd made began to glow the same. It must have been big; the light completely masked the driftwood, in fact… the raccoon couldn't really see anything but the glowing green orb. Her hands were shaking, her knees were knocking and her breathing hitched.

"I'm gonna send you all the way home! Try not to break, alright!?" And with that, the raccoon threw her fist forward but her body went with it, there was the sound of a colossal splash, and immediately her head met with the ground. The last thing she felt was wetness on her head.

* * *

"Marine? Marine are you alright!?" Her eyes felt heavy; it was far too early for shouting, whoever that was. The young raccoon reached up and swatted at them, open palm meeting with something fluffy. Oh, Silver, what was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be on a date with Blaze? Her eyes cracked open and immediately she was met with a blurred and spinning visage of his head hovering over her, his hands were shaking her shoulders. "You're awake! What happened?"

He was cloaked in orange, in fact… everything was. Was the sun setting? What had happened? What time was it? She groaned, lowering her hand from his quills to rub her forehead. "What time is it?"

He blinked at her; he'd stopped shaking her shoulders. "About time for dinner, I was on my way back to make it when I-

"Mate, can we have macaroni tonight?" She'd cut him off; looking passed him and forcing herself to sit up. Marine could still feel his eyes upon her, though he shuffled back a little he was still kneeling to her right. "I know you probably had something planned but… I just really want macaroni tonight. Its been a bit of a long one today."

She turned back to face him, the world slowly taking a more stable form, she could tell he was worried but he managed a smile; "If that's what you want Marine, but you need to tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you? Are you ok?"

Her senses were returning, the promise of her favourite pasta dish in mind, she smiled widely in an attempt to alleviate his concern. "I just got tired mate, nothin' to worry about! I'll be right as rain after some grub!" Rain, thoughts of her last actions came flooding back; she blindly touched her hands together and felt the absence of her thick gloves.

To make matters worse, by the look in his eyes, he hadn't believed her half-truth. "Well… alright, but are those lines on your fingers what I think they are? Because they look like-

Marine's smile faltered, she grimaced and quickly recoiled; sitting on her open palms. "Lines mate? What lines? I must just have fallen asleep on my hands, have you never done that before? O-Or maybe I just got some seaweed tangled on them, I was pullin' this big bit of driftwood out the water earlier; maybe I didn't notice it." Her eyes were scanning the sands; quickly they fell upon her gloves. Just out of reach.

"Marine," she looked back to him but it seemed her name hadn't been spoken to her; rather he was looking off into the sky in deep thought. The tiny raccoon could already tell what was coming. "Marine… Marine? Oh! Marine! Why didn't I realise earlier! Just like Blaze, you're named after-

The young girl lunged to her feet and grabbed his face, effectively muzzling him… but exposing her hands once again; their green glow undoubtedly reaching his vision. His eyes widened briefly before forming a more confused stare, a brow raised. She groaned and started to plead, "Mate please don't tell Gardon or anyone, folks think I'm weird enough as it is; y'know?" Eventually, she lowered her hands from his mouth. He was quiet for a moment; tugging at his chest fur in some kind of contemplation, like an old man with a beard.

"Marine, I'm psychic and from the future. Blaze was from the future, now she's from another dimension and also a princess. You're not weird, at least not by comparison." Okay, when he put it like that her strangeness did seem rather minute in the grand scheme of things but to be fair they were on the extreme end of abnormality. "Why do you want to hide your power? Is it dangerous, are you scared of it?"

She pushed her forefingers together, now refusing to meet his eyes as embarrassment overtook her… a feeling Marine wasn't much used to feeling. "It's not that the powers scare me, I'm afraid of scaring other people with it. It's just… you know… there aren't many kids around here and when I meet them I'm already… I'm not exactly a girly girl, y'know? I hate pink stuff and playin' house, I'd rather be out 'venturin' or making somethin'!" Marine explained to the best of her ability, limited by her own lack of understanding at her embarrassment. "So these marks would probably just be another thing that makes me… weird, so I just figure I'd hide 'em till I know people. Maybe even forever, it's not like I'm usin' 'em for anything."

The hedgehog paused for a moment, not meeting Marine's eye, until finally he removed his hand from his chest and placed it atop her head; almost ruffling her ears. "That… reminds me a lot of how Blaze was. Well, perhaps not quite as bad." This had piqued the young raccoon's interest, while she'd heard parts of the bizarreness that was their past she'd never heard a comparison like that. "She was bullied for her powers when I first met her. In a city overcome with flames her power drew others to fear or despise her." Marine knew that even now Blaze was apprehensive about using her powers but she'd never known where that fear came from, she'd just assumed it was because they were so dangerous. "But without her flames, we'd have never changed that future, with them she did something I never could. She was able to change the world thanks to those flames." His hand pulled back from her head, returning to his fluff, but in the hedgehog's eyes, Marine could see a hint of… something? Regret? Discomfort? Regardless he quickly shook it off, smiling at the young girl once again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is its part of you and, if it is anything like mine or Blaze's, then it's a good thing! Don't be afraid to use it… although, if that's anything to go by you should probably learn to control it a little better." Marine followed the hedgehog's eyes and was flabbergasted by what she saw.

To one side of the pair the sand was dry but before them lay a long strip where the sand had been completely soaked; a wet shadow was cast longer and wider than the log had been. At the edge of the dampness lay a crater, where the driftwood hunk had once been, but way off in the distance Marine could see that very log laid horizontal on the sand. How far away was it? It looked tiny all the way out there. She made an L with her fingers; the log looked about the size of half her thumb.

"I did that?! No, there's no way I…" Marine felt her grin tear at her cheeks, she clenched her fists and the light grew brighter. "That's incredible! Do you see it mate! You do right, all the way out there? I must've sent it flyin'! Can you even do that?"

"I…" But, for some reason, the hedgehog stopped himself. Finally rising to his feet, "Yeah, it's amazing Marine. Do you think you could show me what you did?"

Marine grimaced as she turned back to him, "Maybe…" Her blue eyes scanned the horizon; they were the only ones on the beach. He already knew and it wasn't like she didn't trust him, but at the same time… if she was going to do this…

"You don't have to if-

"If I do it... I want ice cream for afters! Chocolate, no less than five scoops... with sprinkles too. A-And I want…" Her brows furrowed as she tried to think up more terms, "I want you to tell Blaze you think she's pretty and that you wanna smooch her! It's about time you did anyway."

Silver's gaze tumbled to the ground; he was tugging at his chest fur far harder, though the light still cast him orange blush was clear on his face. He was such a dork, with reactions like that Blaze had to know he was into her. There was no way she didn't! "Six scoops of ice-cream, I don't have to tell her anything."

Marine haggled harder; she'd shot high for this very reason. "Six scoops and you admit she's pretty."

"I uhm…" The tugging at his chest fur stopped, "Y-Yes, she's very pretty."

It was nice to hear him say it but, "I meant to her and you know it fine well, mate. Stop tryin' to sneak your way out of it, do we have an accord?"

"…Five scoops and..." The grin had returned to her face but the red hadn't left his, "I-I'll tell her that I guess."

Without hesitation, Marine extended a hand to shake, "Deal!" What an idiot, as if telling her she's that wasn't enough of a hint he wanted to smooch her. She surely knew that already, after all, she wanted to snog him too, but a reminder would be nice. Besides, his compliments were always lame. Hopefully, this would be a step in the right direction.

He didn't meet her eye, instead turning toward the sunset as he shook her hand. "Alright, fine… but I want to know about this power Marine. If I'm doing that much I want a proper demonstration, assuming you can manage it." He looked down the beach and then, finally, back to her. "If you pass out I'll carry you back, but it's probably best you don't. Try a little… smaller? Put less energy behind it, if you can?"

Marine, immediately, threw caution to the wind. "Well, if I'll get a piggyback for showin' off then I'm gonna!"

Before he could stop her she'd opened her left palm, drawing her right arm back and making a fist. At this sight, rather than move out the way, Silver leaned in a little closer; eyes trained on her glowing fingers. The young raccoon began to focus, breathing quickly became laboured as droplets trickled from her hand and began to coreless into a globule, her right fist was beginning to shine, but the action felt… harder than before. It was certainly happening slower, for all the sweat on her brow so little water was leaving her palm.

"How does it feel?"

"Wh-What? Mate, um, it…" How did it feel? Could she even describe it? She was trying to focus on making the orb, that was more than enough to think about! What was it like, she supposed, "Difficult?"

"Difficult how?" Whenever he spoke she felt control wane, toes scrunched as she attempted to maintain focus. "First words that come to mind."

"Err, umm…" Her eyes shut tight as she fumbled for those first words, "It's just… difficult! It's like I'm wringing the water out of my brain, I'm reaching out as far as I can and it's reaching even further? I-I-I'm imagining it when I'm doing it, thinkin' about a hand comin' out of mine… a-a-and I can feel it. It's like my left is dripping away and I feel its weight in my right? B-But my left hand is still there?"

"Huh? Really? That's weird." Marine's brow furrowed, letting her face scrunch into a frown. "I-I mean, it's amazing! Just, not like mine at all. Do you think you can stop it growing?"

Could she? Maybe? She dug her heels in, heaved back her shoulders and tried to ball her left hand. It was difficult, with the grimace she pulled Marine couldn't deny that, but as she curled her fingers, body shaking and teeth grit, the green light flickered out. Her outstretched hand dropped to her side and, in its wake, there hung a sphere of water with a pulsing green core; a pulse that matched her right fist.

Blue eyes lit up with sparkling light, "I-I did it! Mate, look, I did it!"

He finally pulled away from the orb, looking past it to beam at her. "It's incredible Marine, how does it feel now?"

"Oh, this part's a whole lot easier!" Marine shifted her fist toward her mouth and, sure enough, the orb glided a similar path; coming to stop just before her eyes. "It's like it's connected to my first mate, I can pull it in or push it out or do whatever!"

"You need to move your fist but the movement of the orb doesn't quite match your hand." Marine blinked at that, he was right! She'd moved her fist a couple of inches left but the orb had moved around a foot backwards.

"Wow, mate, don't freak me out. I've only really done this a couple times. I don't know what'll happen if I stop thinking 'bout doing this." She tried to focus on the task, "It just kinda… does what my hand tells it to, even if that's not what my hand does."

"It's exactly like psychokinesis then, as long as I know what I mean objects shift accordingly." He turned back to the sphere, squinting at it in a much too serious manner. "Do you know what happens if someone touches it?"

Without hesitation Marine plunged her left forefinger into the sphere, a ripple shot through it and some droplets tumbled to the sand but, for the most part, it held together. As she removed it the finger was soaked, though it didn't shine with the water's light. "If I smacked it it'd probably break but it can handle a touch."

"Do you know what kind of water it is? Is it saltwater or freshwater or…?" Silver asked, trying to look much more studious than his face would really allow.

"Or what, flavoured water? Fizzy water?" The raccoon snorted, "Come to think of it though, I've never really tried. For all I know, it's coconut water."

Marine didn't hesitate, she plugged that soaked finger directly into her mouth. Immediately she was heaving, coughing and spluttering; trying her best to spit out ever droplet. Her tongue dragged through forearm fur, trying to brush out the taste. "It's like a mouthful of seawater in a drop, it's so gross! It's so gross! You try it!"

She heard the hedgehog edge a step away, "I think I understand well enough."

Though her wince hadn't faded mischief had returned to the Raccoon's mind, "No mate, you've got to try it to really know. Here, taste it!"

She threw her right fist forward with, perhaps, a little bit too much vigour behind it. The hedgehog hardly had time to turn his head; the globule met his face with a resounding smack, like a stone skipping across a lake, and sent him tumbling across the sand. Marine went from grimacing to cringing, vision cast to the ground as he came to a crashing stop. Clearly, she didn't know her own strength. She gripped her right arm, guilt welling, only to hear him rise; dusting himself off.

Before she could dare glance at him three words cut across the beach, "Do it again."

"Wh-What?! Mate, are you insane?" Her were finally thrown to him. Though the blow had just been dealt, Marine could already see a red outline on his cheek.

"Don't worry. I'm fine, I've had far worse. When it moved I think I saw something, I want to make sure." He explained, "Besides, I'm ready this time. You won't get to land the hit, I promise."

A glance was cast to her blue globule, the sand beneath it blackened by droplets. If she could stay conscious, how long would it hold out? Could she manage one more punch? Undoubtedly, but how many tries would it take to actually hit him?

With a gesture the orb flew to her, she drew back her fist. "Is that a challenge, mate?"

The hedgehog seemed to blink, more mocking words slipped from his lips. "Wh-What? No, Marine. You're just new to this, you need practice if you're going to land-

Oh, she wasn't taking that lying down. He was calling her weak? Inexperienced? She'd show him! Before he could even finish she'd thrown her fist forward, her glowing water rocketed toward him, but his response was faster. Rather than jump or duck out of the way the Silver fell backwards, catching himself in his own psychic grip. With less than a gesture, he was back upright, hovering where he once stood.

"That was good! I saw it clearly, it's just like I thought. The orb-

"I'm not done yet, mate!" The fist was quickly retracted, though she couldn't see it Marine knew the orb was racing back toward her; thus through him!

Without looking the hedgehog however a little to the right, the shining light shot straight past him before slowing to a halt in front of her. Maybe it was a bad idea to announce her attack… but it'd just felt so cool! Her smile must have tripled in size; she could feel her cheeks glowing. Before she'd only used it in dire situations, or… well, when she really wanted to, but now the raccoon doubted she'd be able to stop. It felt so freeing, hurling that orb back and forth in an attempt to knock him down; like some great game of dodge ball where she held all the power.

Winding up again she launched the orb, it'd shrunk dramatically but she still had her weight behind it! "Alright, this one will do it. I'm gonna get you!"

She was so certain it would hit, but rather than dodge, the hedgehog simply raised a hand. Sand shaped into what was essentially a catcher's mitt and halted her orb, the light faded from her fist as the saltwater became little more than a stain on the sand. With a single, simple, action he'd stopped her all-out attack.

"Mate! That's not fair! You can't just…" All of a sudden Marine's head felt rather light, there was a weird sound in her head. Her body swayed forward yet, when she tried to compensate, she found herself falling. She landed on her backside; Silver a cyan blotch on an orange background. Marine had never felt seasick before but, from the spinning to her head to the shifting in her stomach, this was what she imagined it felt like. As the hedgehog approached he became much clearer, his own bright aura fading as he crouched down to her.

"Are you ok?"

"You… you cheated, that's not fair." She wasn't thinking before she spoke, thoughts tumbled from her spinning brain to her lips. Her eyes closed as that ringing sunk deeper into her head. "Th-That means I win."

The raccoon felt a hand on her head, ruffling her ears. He'd plopped down in front of her, "I didn't say I wouldn't use my powers but, alright, you win. If that's your biggest problem then you're doing fine." As he spoke he raised his right hand, grains of glowing sand rose and formed an orb roughly like hers. "When your construct was stationary it looked like this, but whenever you threw it out…" With a small gesture the orb was reshaped, with her vision spinning it took a moment to understand the change but eventually she identified it. The sand had taken the shape of a closed hand.

"Really mate, I made a fist?" She managed to ask.

"Exactly, maybe with practice, you'll be able to make other shapes. Perhaps an open palm or…" The hedgehog seemed to catch himself, his hand lowered to her forehead. "Looks like that took a lot out of you, are you feeling alright?'

"No, mate I swear I'm, fine. I'm totally fi-

She was cut off by her own yawn. As she went to open her eyes she found them abnormally heavy. As his hand shifted away she went to rub them, the light from her fingers almost blinding her.

"Can you get my gloves? My hands are too bright right now…"

"Sure, I'll pick them up and then we can head ho-

"You two are still out here?" The voice of a familiar feline, it couldn't be too far away. Marine managed to turn and look over her shoulders; a purple blotch was certainly forming into Blaze.

Silver was far more surprised to see her, quickly stammering out an explanation, "Blaze, sorry I was heading home to put dinner on but well…" The light was still ebbing from her fingers; she was too tired to hide it. "We got a little distracted."

Marine felt a hand on her shoulder, "I can see that much… Marine, why didn't you show me before?"

"I just… I'm sorry mate, I would have shown you first you know but I used it too much and fell asleep on the beach and…" Another yawn wracked her being, stopping the motormouth in her tracks.

"It's fine, Marine." Blaze's thumb gently rubbed her back, rather than the frustration she'd expected the cat's voice was soft. "I'm glad you've finally opened up about it, even if it would have been nice to know earlier. It's alright to be scared of these powers," There was, undeniably, a hesitation but she soon concluded, "I know I was."

The youngster couldn't help but lull into the touch, eyes fully closing. "As long as you keep trying to do good with it, you'll eventually do good with it. It's a part of you, no one should have to fear a part of themselves." Which of them was he talking to? Regardless, Silver began to explain, "It seems to be some kind of hydrokinesis, it's a little obvious when you consider her name, right?"

"I suppose I never thought to question it, rather… naïve considering my own name." Of course she'd used that word. If Marine had the energy she would have chewed her out for that… a small groan would have to suffice.

"I guess, for once, we both were." They were such saps. Good saps, saps she was happy to have… but saps none the less. "We should probably go, we can talk more over dinner; when she's a little less tuckered out."

She felt weightlessness overtake her, Blaze's own touch vanishing and a new touch manifesting in front of her. It felt soft… like some kind of pillow. When her eyes cracked open she understood, the piggyback… just as he'd promised. Although, speaking of promises, a scheme was brewing within the raccoon.

"Oh, Silver, what's that on your face? Did I do that during training today? I'm so sorry, does it hurt." Marine peered through his quills, she'd approached and taken his face in her hand; thumb gently rubbing the bruise her hydro-fist had given him.

Redness tipped his ears; he managed to stutter out some explanation. "N-No, Marine did that, don't worry. A little ice and, hopefully, it'll be gone by the morning."

"I doubt it, you'll be lucky to avoid a black eye." Perhaps, but was holding his face in your hand really helping with that?

Marine fought through another yawn, cutting him off. "Blaze, Silver's got something important to tell you. He's been meaning to for a while now."

His head shifted; clearly, he'd been caught by surprise. Despite that, it still lay in his hand. "I-I'll do it later, Marine."

The Raccoon started to jab him, whining louder. "You cheated fightin' me. To make up for it you have to tell her now. You've been thinking about it for too long anyway, any longer and you're gonna burst."

Blaze's interest had clearly been piqued, still holding his cheek she finally asked; "Silver, what is it?"

"I-I… well... erm…" Oh, this was going to be good, as she loosed a yawn Marine gave him a sleepy kick in an attempt to urge him on. "You look great t-tonight, th-the sunset and your eyes it just…" He really was awful at this; well at least he was finally trying. "It's really nice, I-I mean all of you is nice, y-you're nice every night! B-But…I mean… uhh…"

His words had become mush; even beneath the setting sun Marine could see the blush on her white muzzle as he fought with his compliment, with every glance to her he'd stutter even more. As she drifted off among his quills Marine couldn't help but feel glad she had them, annoying and stupid and sappy as they were.


	21. Heather

Just thought I should leave a little warning note atop this one, this story is essentially an exploration of a Silvaze fanchild and thus contains an OC. Don't worry if that isn't your thing, while I'll be writing more of her in the future she isn't going to become commonplace in this oneshot dump. I thought it wise to state this up front, just in case this story's contents confused people.

I suppose I'll also take this opportunity to thank you for reading this far! At this point, you've made it through 20 of my oneshots and almost 80,000 words. I really hope you've enjoyed reading and I can continue to make work you enjoy!

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A cast iron kettle hung in the air, cloaked in a bubbling mint green aura. Its owner sat at a desk beneath it, scribbling away in preparation for an upcoming maths test but, unfortunately, was more distracted than she'd admit by her tea-brewing endeavour. It wasn't that the effort was overly strenuous and it wasn't that she hadn't practised, but maintaining a temperature low enough to prevent overflow was proving more difficult than she'd anticipated. She'd got stuck three sums into her workbook, a geometry question no different from those prior was somehow taking ten times their effort. As she cursed her inability she felt her pencil brittle in her grasp, paint melting as the wood turned to a husk. The feline sighed, gripping it by the graphite tip and blowing, but the damage was already done. The fingertips of her right glove were stained yellow and black. Her pencil was well beyond use.

She groaned, tossing it in her wastepaper basket, and reached to her pen-pot. There were no more pencils, only pens. Pens were no good for maths. She opened her drawers, only papers; no pencils. A low hiss slipped from her throat, she balled her fist only to flinch and quickly reopen it. The paint now marked her palm, cast black by the glowing green symbol behind it. She slumped back in her chair, a much louder hiss slipping her throat, and brought her left hand to her forehead.

That was when a meteor fell from her ceiling; her kettle crashed through the desk in front of her and she, in response, tumbled twice backwards over her chair and landed flat on her back. A hiss escaped her throat, despite being a cat she clearly had her father's reflexes; couldn't have just landed on her feet. Just as she thought of her father, his voice rang up the hall.

"Heather, what was that?! Is everything alright?!" His call was followed by the sounds of a psychic whir; he was undoubtedly racing toward her room.

"I'm fine, Dad! It's fine! Don't come in!" She dared to glance at the damage, the now dented iron mass and her demolished oak desk. Almost-tea had been sent in almost every direction. Was the floor broken too? Knowing her luck, probably.

Despite her demands, there was a gentle rap at her door; undoubtedly her father's knuckles. Heather released another sighing hiss, brushing off her skirt and clambering to her feet; making sure her ponytails were still in place. As cats went she was on the fluffier side, her pastel purple fur was rather untameable, and thus made maintaining a serious visage… difficult. She'd had her right ear pierced in an attempt to fix that, coupled with a shift from garish pinks and yellows to a more serious (gothic) style. Out with sundresses and dungarees, in with black skirts and shirts from her favourite metal bands.

"Purpur, are you sure you're okay? Can I come in?"

Fists balled and eyes shut tight, she spoke through gritted teeth, "Dad, I told you to stop calling me that, I'm not a kid anymore." Another hiss escaped her throat, Heather knew she had whined rather than demanded that change.

"Sorry Heather, I just… can I come in?" She heard the worry in his voice.

Heather turned away from the door, wandering over to inspect what remained of her desk. Her papers were ruined, the woodwork was smashed and water was freely leaking from her kettle.

Eyes closed, fists clenched and her ears lowered. "D-Do whatever you want."

The door unlatched behind her, footsteps padded across the carpeted floor behind her. "Oh dear, well at least you're alright. This shouldn't be too hard to fix!"

Cyan light flared, the kettle returned to the air and soon its puncture was turned inside out; the metal folded to reseal. Her papers too lifted skyward; water being separated and pooling within a separate psychic bubble. While he couldn't fix her desk he did his best, the broken board splintering back together and being set to lie atop its legs. With a point, her trinkets and kettle were piled on her bedside cabinet. The orb of tea was quickly disposed of, her window briefly opening to set it loose.

"We can get you a replacement desk in the morning, don't worry about it."

She felt his hand on her shoulder, Heather shrugged out another sigh but no hiss accompanied it. The feline finally turned to face her father, looking up at his stupid smiling face and ridiculous quills. Even though she was fourteen he still towered over her, the fluffy tips of her ears barely reached his chin. Cyan symbols were etched on his hands, not quite the same as her octagons but unmistakably similar. Moments like this reminded her that she had his brighter eyes, not her mother's amber ones as she liked to think.

"Thanks," His smile grew at her praise, ugh. She turned away arms folded, "I-I guess, but I could have cleaned it up myself."

That hand on her shoulder pulled her in for a hug. She kept her arms firmly crossed and forced herself to maintain a frown despite the tickling of his fluff. "I know you could but it's fine. I just wanted to save you the hassle, no matter how grown up you are I'm still going to do my best to help you."

"Dad, stop embarrassing me." At that, she felt him hug just a little tighter, practically forcing his fluff up her nose. Her eye shut, she could feel the heat on her face. "I should be cleaning up my own messes, solving my own problems n-not relying on you or anyone, n-not even mum!"

She'd tried to sound serious but, again, Heather knew she surely hadn't. Not only had a stutter snuck past her lips but her words had surely been muffled against his frame. If he couldn't take her seriously when she spoke clearly, what chance did she have now? Finally conceding, she leaned into him… but she wasn't going to return the hug.

"We both know what she'd say if she heard you say that." Heather could hear the teasing in her father's voice. He wasn't wrong, as much as she wished he were.

"I know, she'd call me stubborn." But if he was going to tease her then she could push back. She was an adult; she didn't have to stand for this. "But she'd call you naïve for babying me."

He snorted, "She's been calling me that long before you were here, it didn't stop me then and it won't stop me now." She felt his hand shift, rising to ruffle her unpierced ear. Before she could complain he'd released her from the hug, still beaming with that stupid grin. If anything it'd grown even stupider and far more embarrassing. "You're always going to be my little Purpur. Nothing you can do will ever change that."

Heather tried her hardest to force the red from her cheeks. She shot him the harshest glare she could muster, ears pinning back and tail stiffening. "You are the catalyst of my misery, the key to my hatred and root of…" Cheeks flared brighter as she searched out more words; she knew her glower was wavering. "All my ignominy." Unsatisfied with the effort, she turned from him, making sure to whip her tail. "I long for some great thaumaturgy to free me of your unabashed foolishness. You handle a future sorcerous and monarch as you might some plain infant, as though I am some hapless new-born still crawling on my hands and knees." That was better, Heather refolded her arms in an attempt to further emphasise her points. "Your assiduity shackles me five hundred magnitudes more than you could ever comprehend, binding me to a crag of discontent to be scoured by waves of embarrassment."

For some time there was quiet, a vacuum that rather surprised the feline. Heather had doubted he'd take her effort to heart, in truth she'd expected him to laugh her off again. She'd expected and they'd float off into the air, him having hugged her, and very nearly bump against the ceiling. There'd be groaning, she'd try to push away, but he'd continue to hug her and call her by that insipid name.

But, rather than a hug, his words broke the silence. "Well, perhaps you're right. You are growing up so, if it means that much to you, I'll stop calling you Purpur." Eyes widened, she looked over her shoulder to him. "Of course, as I said, that's what you'll always be to me; but if it really embarrasses you so much… then fine." She could see the sincerity in his eyes, as they locked with hers though his smile near tripled in size. "That doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking after you though, no matter how much that embarrasses you. You're still my little girl after all."

"I-I'm not a little girl, I'm an adult; a future monarch no less!" The young feline turned away again, feeling a smile creep onto her lips. For as embarrassing, foolish and goofy as he could be, Dad wasn't one for lying. If he said he wasn't going to call her Purpur, he meant it. Before she could really think two muttered words slipped past her lips, "T-Thank you."

That'd done it. The naïve oaf was upon her; arms wrapped around her and his chin crowning the top of her head. Before she could struggle they were in the air, approaching the ceiling. Heather couldn't see it, but she could imagine the stupid smile plastered on his face as he nuzzled and cooed. All her pushing and decrying did was alter their trajectory, soon blood was rushing to her head and the floor spanned out above them. Only his power could force such embarrassing hugs, he'd stopped doing them in public last year but the house was a different story.

"Dad s-stop that right now! You shouldn't even be in here; this is my room. You're going to leave boot prints on the ceiling. G-Get out! Get out! S-Stop hugging me, r-right now!" Heather swore she heard him laugh, or at the very least chuckle. "Ugh, you're so embarrassing!"

"Just a little longer, it feels like its been months since I last cuddled you." He'd kicked off the ceiling; they were slowly approaching the floor.

Regardless of that Heather continued to battle, wriggling away from him nuzzles. "Y-You hugged me less than ten minutes ago!"

"That one was too short, it hardly counts." She could feel her fur growing messier and messier, pricking as her agitation grew. "I miss when my little girl would return my hugs."

"Your little girl isn't little anymore! I-I'm an adult, I'll do whatever I want!"

"I already told you, no matter how old and mature you get you're always going to be my little girl." Eyes rolled, she over exaggerated a hiss, but she knew it was only reinforcing his words; drawing out her childish anger. "Although, as you are such an adult, I suppose I can trust you with a little errand? If you agree to do it I'll set us down now."

It was an especially embarrassing combination, first an attempt to crumple her ego followed by such an obvious attempt to bolster it. She felt her flush grow even redder, "F-Fine! I'd rather suffer a thousand lonely deaths than endure five more minutes of this." That was too much, again it sounded like she was trying too hard.

As feet finally met the ground he gave one last nuzzle, again brushing that unpierced ear much to Heather's chagrin. She quickly pulled away, arms refolding as she turned to face him. "Well, this will be far easier than that. We've got an important guest coming for dinner, I was going to collect her from the harbour myself but I'm sure she'd love to see you first."

"We're having a visitor here rather than in the castle?" Her brow furrowed

He ran his fingers through his chest fur, giving the words some thought. "Knowing her, she'd probably want to stay here with us rather than in a guest room. Odds are she'll refuse a room and sleep on the couch too."

It was rather unusual for guests to stay in the house rather than the palace. Usually, people came from the other dimension in groups too; only one woman coming was rather strange. Aunt Amy, Uncle Sonic and their brats had stayed for a week no more than ten days ago. The Rabbit had family visited a week before that, alongside the heads of the Chaotix detective agency. Who else was there? She recalled a bat and echidna family, she cursed herself for forgetting their names, but she doubted it.

Curiosity had been piqued though she attempted to bury that, standing fully to attention and taking the task with the utmost seriousness. "Who is it I am to escorting?"

"It's…" The hedgehog paused as if some idea had struck him. "Well, I suppose it was always meant to be a surprise; I shouldn't change that now. Even if you don't remember her, she'll surely remember you so don't worry about missing them. I'll be surprised if she doesn't recognise you, not much has changed." He realised his mistake before she could begin to frown, quickly following that up with, "I-I mean, you've grown a lot since back then and changed in some amazing ways Heather but some things are, well, rather permanent."

Dad raised his hand; a cyan-blue pillar of light entered Heather's vision. She sighed, matching the effort; a mint hue was unleashed, a wave of warmth coming with it. He wasn't wrong, between her markings and eyes it was obvious who her father was and cats weren't exactly common on the island, let alone those with the royal mark on their forehead. She noted the wrinkle of concern on his brow.

"It's fine dad." Heather internally rolled her eyes trying to maintain her serious expression. While it was a basic and pitiful errand, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of pride. It was a small step, but clearly an important one toward being treated like the adult she was. Eyes closed, she put on her clearest voice. "While it's hardly a task befitting of my status, I shall do as you have requested. I'll see to it that this visitor arrives without delay."

Immediately his hand was back on her head, now quite reaching her ears but ruffling the thick fur on her head. Eyes quickly opened, she struggled to bat the hand away. "I'll leave you to it then."

"Yes, now… get out of my room." She reached up to smooth out the damage he'd done but quickly remembered the melted paint on her palm, likely newly melted by their brief light show. Heather balled her fists, "Ugh, you're so embarrassing!"

Finally, she heard footsteps; he said something to the effect of "Stay safe" as the door closed behind him. Alone again, at last. She quickly removed her gloves and sought out a clean pair; taking up a comb she quickly flattened her fluff and retied her ponytail. While she didn't know who she'd be meeting, it was only right that she appeared proper; both for them and the populous at large. Well, as proper as her fur would allow. She drew a jacket from her closet, a simple (hoodless) coat with a fake breast pocket. It was more an accessory piece than for warmth; it wasn't as though she felt the cold after all.

Satisfied with her appearance, Heather took to the hall. The scent of herbs immediately struck her, forming an obscuring barrier, but beneath it was the scent of salmon. It wasn't being cooked yet, the smell was too weak for that, but her mother's sense of taste had rushed to the forefront. Despite the fish's taunting, she managed to round her way down the stairs and to the front door; collecting her key from the hook and quickly slipping on her shoes. All was ready, all was set, it was a simple task but it was a taste of proper responsibility! She pulled open the door and stepped outside…

Bright yellow eyes collided with a regal, amber, set. She'd departed just as Mum arrived, the older purple feline was dressed in her usual robes; what'd once been a ponytail had recently grown into a lengthy braid.

Quickly, Heather returned to her full attention; hands clasped in front of her. "G-Good evening mum, I hope work was… productive?"

A small smile crossed the monarch's face, Heather tried her hardest not to mirror it. She had to look serious; no she had to be serious! "Good evening Heather, it was dull but yes, productive. I hope you aren't going far? By that smell, dinner can't be too far off."

"No, just to the harbour. Dad trusted me to collect our guest, but he hasn't told me who they are." She was thankful her stutter hadn't persisted. Deep down, she knew her attempts to elevate the task only made it more infantile, but success here would surely grant her further independence. That meant it was the first step on the path of making her proud. "Regardless of the difficulty his naivety has caused, I'll locate her and return post-haste."

"I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding her, she'll likely shout the moment she spots you." As Blaze went to pass Heather stepped outside, holding the door open. "She's never quiet, even eight years later I doubt that much has changed."

Again Heather thought back, eight whole years? So she'd only been six when this person left. To the young feline, that time was a mess of pink dresses and tea parties, wanting to be the stereotypical pretty princess more than anything. Now it was starting to get to her. Heather's eyes finally averted from hers, "I wish he'd just told me."

"You're so stubborn, your father wants it to be a surprise for a reason. I won't deprive you of it." It wasn't a serious chide of course, but Heather couldn't help feeling she'd made a misstep. "To be honest, I'm surprised you've forgotten her. You sobbed for weeks when she set out."

"I-I did?"

"Well, when you see her I'm sure it'll all come back." That small smile remained, though Mum's eyes departed from Heather. "Remembering someone you've forgotten is… an experience. I suppose, with that in mind, I can stand for you two to be a little late to dinner." Mum took another step over the threshold; gently nodding as she passed. "I'm off to surprise your father. Have fun."

For once, the clear interlude to her parents' flirting didn't faze Heather. She was dumbfounded, her mouth agape a single word snuck past her lips, "O-Okay." She quickly rectified this though, restoring her attentive posture and furrowing her brow. "I'll see to it that we're back in time for dinner, I'll take no longer than twenty minutes; there and back."

Her claims weren't met with a response; by the time she'd recovered her mother was well on her way toward the kitchen. The young feline closed the door, slouching against it and heaving a sigh. On one hand, she'd been called stubborn again and she doubted her Mother was much impressed by her immature display. On the other, Mum seemed particularly happy for this reunion and furthermore, apparently, it was someone she'd known as a child? How old were they?

Heather managed to push away from the door, beginning the trek down the path and away from their family home. She glanced to her right; the Sol castle itself wasn't far from here. They stayed in their separate house for practical reasons more than anything, the building was archaic and upgrading it had proven difficult; the water refused to heat, oftentimes leaving it cold. That wasn't a problem for Heather, nor her Mother of course, and when they did stay there Dad simply demanded more hugs but providing them bedding meant powering an entire wing; a wing full of empty rooms. Additionally, three people sat taking breakfast at a table made for fifty was a frankly bizarre sight to behold; with her parents' powers and the lack of threats, the royal guard had all but been disbanded. Naturally, those were the reasons Mum gave rather than Dad. Instead, he'd say something mushy, something about enjoying the domesticity of their little home or how he just wanted his little Purpur to have a regular childhood before she had to worry about those things. Ugh. The central chambers saw use for politics, when important guests came it saw further use still, but beyond that, the building had become somewhat of a tourist draw.

Thoughts of her future reign in the castle carried her all the way there. On occasion she received glances, elder folks would remove their hats and younger kids would stare, tugging at their parent's sleeves or having their heads turned by their parents. She gave affirmative nods and waves but didn't want to risk stopping and missing this mystery guest. The harbour itself was relatively quiet, save for a trio of elderly koalas lugging crab-crates onto dry land. Empty sailing vessels of various shapes, purposes and sizes were anchored within the harbour, protect from the (rather mild) waves.

Heather found a space and took a seat, feet dangling above the water's edge. She'd promised to return within twenty minutes, not that Mum had taken it seriously, but that might've been well outside of her hands. Pending the tides and their visitor's vessel, they could be hours late. The wind was gentle against her fur, the sky a muted orange but it couldn't be long till the sun dro-

A sudden splash pulled Heather from her thoughts; the shock sent her skirting backwards and forced a cry from her throat. Before even thinking to rise, she scanned behind her, fortunately, the fishermen were out of sight and earshot. She was prepared to reprimand herself for letting such a simple thing surprise her when she remembered; the ocean's surface was over five metres beneath her. Heather sat up straight and found that a rather peculiar device had sprouted from the water. It was …a pipe? A pipe coated in rush, a bend near its end, was turning on its axis to look left and right but facing the direction of the sea. The young feline pressed her hands to her shoes, unleashing her symbol's warmth to dry them, and curiously eyed the pipe just in time for it to fully turn to her. There was a glass lens on its end, nothing but darkness within. For a moment, she was locked in a stare-off with the pipe.

It plunged back into the depths without warning, sending forth a geyser of water in its wake. At that Heather clambered to her feet, ignoring the lingering moistness of her shoes to peer down at the water. As quickly as it had appeared, the pipe had vanished without a trace. Nothing but the blue sea, gentle waves rolling on its surface. Brows were nit into a sharp frown as she scanned for any movement, any sign of a machine or a creature. She got more than a sign.

There was an explosion of water, despite jumping back Heather found herself now fully soaked. A hulking metal mass coated in orange rust and long worn blue paint had emerged on the surface, jostling in the wake it had caused. Just as she thought she understood its entirety Heather heard a sound like this hiss of a thousand bottles of lemonade being unscrewed, the giant metal hull cracked like an egg and the rusted shards began to tumble into the sea. In a matter of moments a proper shipping vessel was revealed, a large sailing ship that (judging by its patchwork) had seen more than its lifetime of use. Everything from sheet metal to driftwood had been used to fill gaps in the hull, a large green sail hung from a mast at the boat's centre but at its rear end was an engine that looked much too large for the boat to maintain buoyancy.

"Alright mates, we're back at last! Unload the cargo, I'm off to see my Niece!" That voice, its twang was so familiar. It, the green colour of the sail and what remained of the original boat… the three were very familiar to Heather in a way she couldn't quite place. The ship was much too tall for Heather to see its deck but she could hear the pounding of footsteps and grumbles of sailors atop it.

She walked along the length of the ship, looking for anything else familiar. A worn patch of the original wood stood out, up high and near the bow of the ship. There was an engraving on it of some sort, assumedly the ship's name? It was too high to read, especially in its current state. Heather clenched her fists, mint green energy flared around her person and began to dry her clothes but that was merely a by-product. Soon she was airborne, hovering eye to eye with that faint inscription. What did it say? The Royal Raccoo-

"Strewth! You finally learned how to fly?! Well, it took ya long enough."

Before Heather could turn to the voice on the deck a great weight smacked into her, eyes closed and energy focused as she attempted to slow her tumble to the ground. She, mostly, succeeded; a psychic barrier on her back prevented too much damage, but the weight that had struck her remained. Eyes groggily opened, sat on the young feline's chest was a fully grown raccoon; brown and orange fur in patches all over her face and bright blue eyes smiling down at her. She'd changed a lot but, almost immediately, Heather recognised the older woman's face.

Aunty Marine. Memories of those 'princess tea parties' came flooding back, wearing stupidly billowy pink dresses and strutting around the castle grounds. Whenever Mum and Dad were busy with work, Aunty Marine would take over babysitting. She'd let the young princess do things she, probably, shouldn't; stay up late watching pirate movies, eat ice cream for breakfast and, most irresponsible of all, play princess with the royal treasures. Marine, who would tell her stories of pirates and princesses on the fly, talking for hours on end with next to no prompting but always capturing the young feline's attention. Of all the things she'd shunned in growing more mature, Marine was the linchpin.

Having caught herself staring, still very much beneath the racoon, Heather attempted to compose herself. "G-Good evening Aunty Marine. I-I…" She bit back a snarl, cursing her stutter. "I hope you're well?"

"Aww, mate, knock it off with the formal stuff. By the looks of you I'd thought you'd changed, are you still playin' Princess even now? Hardly look like it though," Did she have to be so loud? When was she going to get off, at least there was no one around. Suddenly a hand was on her forehead, thumb rubbing her jewel before she reached up to ruffle more fur. "Where's all the pink gone? You'd have died for that colour last I saw ya, everthin' had to be pink no matter what. I see you've takin' on a couple of the pirate aesthetics though, earrings are lookin' rippa mate. Surprised your mum let you get that so soon, still, I can…"

The princess' head was spinning, when she was a child Marine's mannerism and endless capacity to speak had been compelling but now she could hardly stomach it. Would she ever stop? Were they going to stay like this until the sunset? She felt her cheeks flare in embarrassment.

"…You've gotten real big haven't ya? When I was last about you were hardly at my waist but now-

An opportunity! The exhausted feline cut in, "D-Do you think you're still taller than me?"

"Oh, that's a good question mate! Let's find out then, hurry up and get up!" Immediately the raccoon was on her feet, a hand extended to Heather.

She opted to take it, dusting herself off having risen. Now that she'd remembered the Raccoon she couldn't help noticing some changes. For one, her dual pigtails had now morphed into a singular boomerang-shaped ponytail. For another, a dark green long-coat and waders had replaced her green sundress. She was tall too, a few inches taller than Heather herself and maybe a couple more than Mum.

"Nah, you're still a shorty. Might beat me someday but you'll never beat ya Dad, how is that lanky dork anyway? Suppose we should set off and see 'em eh?"

Her blush hadn't yet faded but she managed to stand at attention, "Judging by your description, yes. He's as frighteningly foolish as he's always been."

"Aww, that's no way to talk about 'im. Sure he's a big doofus, but he's our big doofus. What, is he still callin' you his lil' Purpur." Heather's fur spiked, "Judgin' by the look of you, you wouldn't like that."

"He promised to stop just today actually," She relinquished, "Though, admittedly, he acted like I was a child afterwards…"

"Well, of course, he did mate, he's your Dad." The raccoon's smile reminded her of his, "Look. I know to you it probably seems like our ages are close, but when I first met your mother she was fourteen while I was seven. Those ages made a world of difference so, even now, I'm sure she won't think of me the same way as she does other adults. I'm like her little leech, and no matter how she tries to flick me away or embrace me; that's what I'll always be to her."

She blinked, "I'm… not sure I follow?"

"Look, your Dad's always gonna think of you as his little girl, so will your Mum for certain, but that doesn't mean you can't grow up. Bein' a kid in their eyes doesn't make you a kid forever mate."

"I guess that's true."

"Adulthood is what you make it, it can be all frilly and pink or, well, more like ya current self." Marine jabbed a thumb to the centre of her chest, "Look to me for inspiration, embrace the ocean! Go sailing, have a crew and sing shanties for years at a time. Bonza!" That didn't sound like proper adulthood, not at all, "Speaking of my crew though, I've got so many stories to share mate! One time we were…"

As anticipated, the raccoon continued to ramble for much of their journey back; her loudness drawing far more sets of eyes than the appearance of royalty. The young heiress found it easy yet difficult to listen. On one hand Heather felt a tinge of excitement and a wave of familiarity, the stories she told matched those she'd made up as a child; high adventure and excitement. But on the other, it was all told in such a childish way. They were the exact brand on nonsense she'd been rejecting.

In short, the sailor had set off on her own accord; bored with the normalcy of the island community following the final defeat of the Eggman family. She'd sailed from island to island, living off the land and bartering the treasures she discovered. The raccoon had been shipwrecked no fewer than twelve times over the eight years, much of her crew had abandoned her during the voyage and, for a length of time she referred to as eons, she'd fought on and off with her greatest rival; a giant squid or octopus, she'd never been quite sure.

It was only as they neared the house, the castle in view, her voice took on a quieter tone. "That old place looks dreary as ever, to be honest, I'm glad you parents moved out of it. All the suits of armour, the precious tapestries and all; just way too much fun to be had, way too easy to get into trouble." Her wide grin quickly returned, "Then again, that's the fun of it. Gardon chasin' after me, tryin' to make me sit still, how is the old fart?"

Heather bit back a sigh at the older woman's foolishness, a half-hearted attempt to maintain her composure in the face of such childishness. "He's well enough, perturbed to be relinquishing more of his duties but he still leads most of my lessons."

"Oh, right, I forgot he must be getting on. Well, he was already grey so I doubt much will have changed. I'll drop in and surprise him, I'm sure he'll have missed me." Before they could reach the front door, Heather felt a hand on her shoulder. Immediately Marine was much too close to the young girl's ear, half whispering. "Oi, I've got a wager for you mate."

Her left ear flickered, "A wager?"

A cunning had washed over bright blue eyes, "When I go in there Silver will surely give me a hug, talking about how he'd missed me, but when he finally releases Blaze will notice how grubby I am and give me a proper earful. I'll give you half my venture's fortune if I'm wrong."

"But… why would you risk that?"

"Just to prove to ya that they'll treat me like I always have, just like you'll always be your daddy's lil' Purpur." At that, Heather could no longer hold her peace.

She stomped her way forward and quickly unlocked the door, holding it open for Marine to enter; glower plain on her face. Heather could stand the childish stories and even the raccoon's ignorance of personal space, but the fluttering in her chest as she heard those words in that nostalgic tone was far too much.

"I am Heather, heir to the throne of Sol and-

"How long has it been since I last kissed you?" Suddenly, Heather's frown was overwhelmed by redness, her fists balled and her eyes closed tight. She knew what was happening; she knew it far too well.

"It was when you arrived, couldn't be more than twenty minutes ago..." Purrs were reverberating up the hall; she could picture it in her mind's eye, bodies so close as they idly waltzed around the kitchen.

"Such a long time…" Heather shuddered; that sentence was undoubtedly paused for a kiss. They were in the living room, they knew a guest was coming, how could they be schmaltzy at a time like this! "I missed you today."

"I missed you more." Heather felt her fur spike, a glance to Marine found the raccoon chuckling; hand plastered over her mouth.

"Oh? Do you really think so?" Why did Mum have to entertain this? She'd been the inspiring guardian of their entire nation since birth, fighting robots and monsters with class, composure, style and dignity. Stern, serious and without scruples… that was, unless Dad was present. If the public knew of their cutesiness they'd surely coup. "I suppose I'll just have to show you the truth then... always forgetting, so naïve." Undoubtedly, lip-lock had resumed. It was always like this in the evening; just before dinner they'd reunite with a kiss and a hug but tonight's sounded especially sappy and gross.

Heather felt her stomach turn; even knowing a guest was coming, they'd were kissing and hugging and being awful. Dad truly brought out the worst in Mum, drawing her in to kiss and cuddle Her eyes closed, head pressed against the door, how long would they keep going? How long until they started to wonder where she was?

Before she could consider it, a firm hand had grasped her own; she was being dragged along the hall. No matter how she dug her heels, Marine's strength seemed to dwarf her own. "Oi, mates! We're here! Did you not hear us come in!? Hello!"

The kitchen door was kicked in, Heather dared to open her eyes and found her parents exactly as he'd anticipated. A purple tail had wrapped around the hedgehog's waist, hands marked with psychic symbols clasped behind the feline's neck. Their foreheads had only just parted but, already, Dad was beaming his usual, stupid, smile.

Released from mum's grasp he shot over, arms binding not only Marine but Heather in a tight hug. "Marine! Its been so long!"

"Aww, big softy! I missed you too Silver, have you got even fluffier? Just don't remember it ticklin' this much," Heather struggled to fold her arms, casting her eyes to the wall. "Could use some warmth to complete the cuddle, think you can handle that Blaze? Don't think lil' Purpur can handle it on her own."

"You're not five minutes back and you've already trampled dirt throughout the house," Things were going exactly as Marine said, "After all these years, I knew I shouldn't have expected any better but, really Marine?"

Marine just laughed, Heather felt the raccoon's arms wrap tighter around her. "Get in here, I'll deal with the mess later; I promise, I promise."

Heather could practically hear her mother roll her eyes, "I highly doubt that."

Despite her reprimand, the Queen quickly joined the huddle; Heather felt a warm hand between her shoulder blades. Trapped, the kitten eventually conceded to the hug; certain a long and embarrassing evening awaited her.


	22. Seperation

Fingertips traced across a barren bed sheet, longing for space to be filled. Blaze lay flat on her back, eyes locked upon a dark ceiling, the room was so much darker without him. Her eyelids felt heavy, she'd unleashed more yawns than she could count, yet, try as she might sleep refused to claim her. No matter how she twisted, no matter how she turned, comfort was out of reach. She'd bundle the covers close only to throw them away and build a tower of pillows only to fell it, all in the effort of finding the right position. Nightwear had been swapped three times, she'd undone and redone her ponytail more times than she could count and it'd only served to irritate her. Following her last attempt, she lay with her hair down, garbed in what she'd thought was a comfortable grey nightshirt and loose fitting black shorts. Instead, their baggy material kept dragging against the covers and she could feel her fur hitching against the fabric.

She rolled onto her right, burying her cheek against a pillow and closing her eyes, but she knew the effort was in vain. The pillow's dead comfort couldn't compare to his fur, the gentle rise and fall of his chest as his heartbeat behind it. Blaze's fingertips etched the place he would lie, quills taking up so much of the pillow she'd make do with his chest. Before he'd lain there, she hadn't noticed how large and empty this bed was. It may have been queen sized but it didn't fit her lonely frame, no matter the position she took. Without Silver, the bed felt cold, not in the sense of temperature but in that it was devoid of comfort. To think he had such an effect on her, she hadn't recalled him until a few months prior and now she couldn't sleep without him. No one to share her warmth with, no spindly quills to rearrange and cyan glow to cloak her form. Equally, he couldn't wrap his arms around her and gently lower his chin to crown her head. All she had left was his lingering scent, an imagined likeness to cling to and memories of his sleepy murmurings. Much too little to be grateful for, yet it was all she had.

Blaze shifted to hug her pillow; his sleepy words replayed in her head, it was so easy to envision their entangled position. She'd be, gently, clawing through his fur chest fur when his breath would catch on her ear. He'd mutter something, pulling her tighter into his embrace. Something akin to, "You're so warm," Or "I need you closer," Or even just, "Please Blaze…"

He was begging to hold her more than sleep, longing to comfort and be comforted. He wasn't forward enough to kiss casually yet but, more often than not, she'd grant him one as payment for his comfort. A peck on the cheek or the brush of her lips on his, rarely something deeper, it was always enough to embarrass him. Even in the cyan low light she'd see his blush, feel his temperature spike and allow his frame to melt into hers. She'd bury her face in his chest, be it a cheek or her forehead, and succumb to his gentle touch. His hand would wrap around her shoulders or perhaps the base of her spine, her tail would coil around him and soon her gentle rumbles would flare into a roaring purr. A sound that she'd be embarrassed by any other time yet, laying here, that rumbling would ease her to sleep.

Blaze hadn't purred since he'd left. Her eyes cracked open, his imagined form vanishing. Stiff, cold and lonely; three words to describe her bed without him. It wasn't that he'd wanted to leave, nor had she wanted him to, but they were bound to their duties. She was the ruler and guardian of her own dimension, a linchpin in her world's civilisation. He came from the far-flung future of another world, ever focused on undoing the past's mistakes and making it a brighter place to live. It was inevitable that they'd spend time apart, she just… didn't think it'd affect her like this. She'd expected to toss and turn a little but she was up well past the twilight hour, debating yet another change in wardrobe.

Rolling over, yet another fruitless effort, Blaze brought her knees to her chest. Time travel meant he could leave, spend a week in his time and return to her the very same day but, of course, that wasn't realistic. If Silver kept doing that their ages would diverge. The first few times it might not have been noticeable but there were 200 years between the calamities and his time. There was so much space for so much to go wrong; it might take years for his endeavour to pay off, it wasn't as though he could find a calamity's cause in a single day. For him to be old and worn while she was youthful? Neither of them could stand that, if they took that path then he would die long before her. So they'd agreed on terms; for every day Silver spent in the future he'd return a day later than his departure. That way not only would their ages synch but their pining would be mutual, it was a balanced absence.

She groaned, flipping again and burying her head deeper against the pillows. His departure replayed in his mind. The sol emeralds had cast a portal, a gateway to his desired destination, but they must have spent an hour standing before it. He'd cried first of course but as they'd embraced and her own barriers had crumbled. Tearstained kisses marked the goodbye, his departure from safety and return to a ravaged world. She trusted he'd return, she was confident in his abilities, but that didn't keep a small worry from brewing within her. If this lasted more than a week she'd surely be awake out of worry rather than the mere lack of comfort. Would she admit that she'd been restless? Not until he did, ten times at least. Blaze recalled her final gift to him, that it should limit their separation at least a little. Search as she might, the thought of his quick return was the only comfort she could find. That and knowing he'd keep their final promise.

* * *

His head buried deeper into his pillow, damp bed sheets were pulled taught around his soggy white frame. Try as he might, toss and turn, he couldn't settle. There was a crack in the ceiling above him, droplets of rain sneaking through it to gather as a puddle in the centre of the room. A storm was wailing outside, the howling of rain and the cracking of thunder an inescapable constant. Important as his task was, Silver certainly hadn't missed these nights. Being holed up in a broken abode, destructive forces raging outside, was a reality he'd escaped for a good few months.

Fingers dragged through his matted white chest fur, an unshakable damp and humidity were treating it like a sponge. He wasn't sure why, he still hadn't uncovered any records, but this world had flooded many years ago. The tips of skyscrapers stood as islands on a raging sea but, beyond them, he hadn't managed to find any sign of civilisation. None of the buildings he'd found had been fit for use, all of them waterlogged and exposed, but his creation wasn't much better. He'd taken the scraps from some of those buildings and used them to construct his hovel, a jagged mesh of metal frames and makeshift brickwork he'd built atop a worn landing pad. Though he was safe from much of the rain the materials he'd built this box from were wet, though he'd wrung much of the water from a mattress he'd discovered it still squelched beneath him, thus his shelter offered no real warmth. It smelt of damp too and some kind of rot maybe? Regardless of what it was, Silver couldn't stand it.

He closed his eyes, heaving a sigh; he missed the scent of burnt lavender and the person it brought to mind. The sob of rain was deafening, though he'd come to enjoy its gentle pitter-patter on rooftops this was far too much. He'd grown accustomed to her purr gently rocking him to sleep, the torrential sound didn't come close to filling the void it left. Even deafened, he still clung to his imagined version of that sound; how its tempo would shift with their shared movements, dragging out as she nuzzled into his chest and growing louder with each and every touch. Her ears in particular, or, well, the top and back of her head as a whole; with every touch the sound would be augmented, growing from a murmur to a roar.

Kicking off the covers, Silver sat up straight; drawing a cold hand through his soggy quills, parting them enough to see. His cyan light was spread through the abode's entirety, but wherever it met water the light would refract and change to create bizarre patterns. The hovel had no door, when he'd properly rested he'd break apart this box and fly someplace else; searching for information, the cause of the calamity. The sooner he managed that, the sooner he could return to Blaze, but with the world being submerged the hedgehog doubted it'd be easy. The world's newspapers were long destroyed, electronics were fried and there were no survivors.

Mere minutes after they'd first reunited, when they remembered the life they'd shared, Silver knew this would happen. He'd learned of her status, her position in her world, well before those memories had returned. If she left someone could claim the sol emeralds and wreak havoc across both her world and his. Returning upon an agreed date was possible but an exact time, trying to land not a moment after leaving? They could try but the odds were that they'd be absent for a number of hours, granting the likes of Eggman Nega an opportunity to snatch the Sol Emeralds. Bringing them with her was even more dangerous, risking their fusion with the chaos emeralds and thus their destruction. Regardless, the rationale behind their separation hadn't made parting any easier.

The hedgehog crawled to the other side of his bed, hearing it squelch as he made his way across. His position seemed to make little difference, the damp was inescapable, but he had to give sleep his best shot. It was hard to imagine this box as her bedroom, the rusted springs poking through his mattress and rebar poking through the walls were hardly comparable to her bookshelves and bedposts, but he had to make do. Closing his eyes he tried to imagine her bed, the silky feel of her fur and the comfortable rumbling of her purr; curling into a ball in an attempt to warm himself.

His hand came up to graze beyond his chest fur; his fingers lingered upon her parting gift. She'd burned him, leaving a mark too small and thin to call a brand on the right side of his neck, and had him make a promise. As long as that mark remained he could stay in the future, searching out the cause of the apocalypse and planning ways to undo it, but the moment that mark faded he was to drop everything and make his way back to her. If he didn't already have a chaos emerald he was to begin searching, if he did he was to make the necessary preparations and leave as quickly as he could.

Silver was unsure how long Blaze's mark would last, he assumed no longer than a month, but regardless of how long it did he was grateful for it. Blaze clearly knew he'd work himself to the bone; he'd come back in a far worse state than he'd left. She wanted to limit the damage, try to make sure he came back to her in one piece. They were self-sacrificing by nature, they'd given up so much of their lives trying to help people, but struggled to endure seeing that trait in each other.

After it'd been left, she'd soothed that burn with a kiss; continuing to murmur sweet nothings about how they'd soon reunite. As he stroked that spot Silver could almost feel the presence of her lips, its reminder warming him from the heart outward. Cradling that spot, he'd eventually fall into a fitful sleep; dreaming of a space and time far beyond his reach.


	23. Something Borrowed

This Fic was written as a promotional piece for Silvaze Week 2019! For more information visit their neocities page and the week's twitter!

* * *

"So, what're you thinking this time?"

"I think we'll take what we can find."

"Oh, well, yeah; of course. But you know, we should probably pick one we both like, right? I think I want something like the last one, it was nice while it lasted."

"It didn't last very long though, did it?"

"… You didn't like it?"

"You're so naïve, that's not what I meant."

Blaze was walking behind Silver, the hedgehog occasionally floating off to peer at a building but consistently re-joining her on the path. On both of their backs hung rucksacks, stuffed to the brim with bedclothes, salvaged food, books and other, simple amenities and luxuries. They'd packed up most everything they owned, anything too large or wasteful left behind, and begun a search for a new residence within the bowels of Crisis city.

The first home they'd shared was fine enough for a couple of kids, the last room of a long collapsed bungalow, but they'd outgrown before Iblis could destroy it. Over the years they'd hopped from place to place, going from supermarkets to libraries but around a year ago they'd taken up residence in an old townhouse. For a while it'd been wonderful; specialised spaces for eating, sleeping and storage, but with time their presence had drawn the spawn of Iblis. They'd held them off for around a month, battering them back every other day, but the monsters had gradually worn away at their home. Gashes had opened in the walls, torn by magma claws, and soon the flaming birds had scorched holes from the roof through to the bottom floor. Giant chasms had compromised the safety of the upper floors; they'd gone from sleeping in separate bedrooms to burned mattresses atop the living room carpet. A move had become inevitable and so, rather than wait for the house to collapse around them, they'd said their goodbyes this morning and set out on a hunt.

Following the thunk of his return to the tarmac, the hedgehog was ahead of her again; looking back with a quizzical stare.

Her eyes rolled, ignoring her nostalgia for their last house, she began to explain. "Practicality is more important than comfort. As nice as a big house is, evidently it's much more of a target than a tower flat or bungalow. Finding a secure building comes first, then we can work to make it comfortable."

"I guess that's true…" Silver's eyes began to wander again, scanning the decrepit buildings that surrounded them. "It'd be nice to find somewhere to settle though, right? A constant place to rest, even if we're fighting every day."

"You're so naïve," Perhaps it was a little soon to say it again, but she couldn't stop the words from tumbling beyond her lips.

Moving house was a bizarre experience for Blaze. Once upon a time, it'd been a cataclysmic shift; the loss of a home had spelt the end of an era, being tossed from safety and into the streets. Now though, Blaze felt prepared. As she packed for their next move she couldn't help but feel excited. This wasn't an ending; more like a brand new start. Between then and now quite a lot had changed, she was older and stronger, but more important than that was the partner by her side. As long as he was there, even as they fled from a crumbling abode, she may lose a house but she'd always have her home.

Blaze had, admittedly, lost herself in thought for a moment; just catching his confused gaze before she could stumble into him. Eyes rolled once again, simply an attempt to avert her gaze and avoid embarrassing herself further. "It's not like I wouldn't like to s-settle," Did he have to use that word? It conjured images of the peaceful, almost domestic, life they'd only read about. Such foolish notions were nothing new from him, yet still, it struck a cord. "I-It's just… unrealistic, we'll always have to keep moving. Even if we find somewhere fortified it'll get worn down eventually, bricks walls can't protect against lava. "

"Oh, yeah. I guess you're right." He conceded, eyes finally returning to the path ahead. "But what about when we finally beat back Iblis for good?"

"When that happens yes, then we can think about finally…" Blaze bit back the red on her face, shaking off foolish thoughts before they could seep sink any deeper, "Settling down."

Unlike Silver, Blaze didn't often think of a world beyond this one. As much as she believed they'd end Iblis' reign, she thought it unwise to set her expectations too high. Even after that monster was defeated; society would remain in disarray, it wasn't as though crisis city would heal overnight. Rebuilding would likely take generations, so she thought it wise to focus upon their immediate problems; short-term goals like finding food and making sure he didn't work himself to death. Thus, she knew she should be focused on finding their new home, not the fluttering in her chest or the naïve ideas he was surely still dwelling upon.

Fists clenched, amber eyes scoured the surrounding buildings, most were shops; their large front windows shattered long before either of them were born. They could reinforce such holes, he'd hold a metal sheet over it and she'd weld it in place, but then their sanctuary would be cast in darkness. Making holes in such a large barrier severely weakened it. Small windows were ideal, like those in the flats above; you could board up two-thirds of it, proving cover, yet leave a hole exposed to filter in light. They were much easier to repair too. Second-floor homes were, in some ways, more vulnerable. While both of them could manage the jump to street-level, if the lower floors were infiltrated and destroyed the whole building could collapse; then they wouldn't merely lose their home but much of their belongings too. Of course, that knowledge came from experience rather than mere theory; a first-floor apartment or the likes of some kind of storehouse was the uncomfortable ideal. But, as she'd said, they'd take what they could find.

Silver had left the trail again, using his cyan glow to scan through windows; undoubtedly searching for some sort of distraction as much as he was their new home. Though she rarely admitted it aloud, only following particularly successful spars, she'd always loved how he unabashedly embraced his power. Reading a book? He'd use psychokinesis to turn the pages. Tidying up? It'd be done with a few waves of the hand. House repairs? They basically did themselves. Her power was less applicable to such mundane things, part of her still saw it as no more than a weapon, but his unintentional endeavours were winning her over. It was… almost a little inspiring, as embarrassing as that was to think.

Having thought of his power however, she was about to require its aid. She called out to him, "Silver, the road's out ahead!" It was still a little ways off, but ahead of her spanned one of the giant magma rivers that coursed through the city. The road ahead was beginning to dilapidate, harsh fissures running through it and pits of tar perpetually smoking. Living any closer to such a site was begging for trouble, the moats were a breeding ground for those monsters.

The hedgehog flit away from an impacted bank and dropped down beside her. "Alright, it looks like this area's a bust, where should we look next? Are we crossing the river or?"

"I don't recall ever crossing this one," After a moment of thought he gave an affirmative nod, "It might be worthwhile to see what's over there. There could be another survivor stronghold, that's worth checking for information even if we can't stay."

"That or more food stores, it's worth a look if nothing else." With a flick of his wrist, her rucksack removed itself from her shoulders before its straps knotted onto his. Silver's bent, arms extended; he was expecting her to hop up.

Blaze ignored the flaring of her face, wrapping an arm behind his neck before swinging her legs up into his grasp. Despite how embarrassing it was, they'd long agreed this was the most practical way of flying. If she were on his back she'd have to cling to him, with her hands filled and vision obscured she'd struggle to defend them from monsters. She felt his metal wristlet press between her knees, another on her right shoulder blade, and his fingers just beyond them; following a gentle squeeze, a blue aura encompassed their shared form. Without prompting, her tail found its way around his waist.

Soon they were airborne, first gently elevating before she heard the whirring of gathered psychic energy. They shot forward, soon their surroundings shifted from a blur of crumbling city blocks to stalagmites jutting from a body of lava. Lava dogs howled and burning serpents blindly lunged after them but neither species stood a chance of reaching. The only true obstacle was directly ahead, a flitting storm of magma wings and lashing tails was rapidly approaching; as Silver soared higher the swarm tracked their assent. Blaze brought her hands together, heat traced around her shoulders and escaped at her palms; soon a ball of fire had formed between them. As they gained altitude Blaze continued to feed the orb energy, growing it well beyond her finger's reach. Just as the first embers started to slip from her grasp they'd found themselves directly above the Iblis bat swarm, without exchanging a single word their plan had gone off without a hitch.

He stopped their movement, his psychic grasp preventing any whiplash; she paused, letting the monsters draw closer, before dropping the sphere beneath them. It drifted down slowly but, now beyond her control, the flame was pulsing and shredding its own boundaries; expanding from its condensed form. As the first of those bats blindly collided with it the restraint was fully undone; a great swirling flame fully eclipsed the burning monsters and, making use of its cover, Silver shot forward. Racing through smoke, sparks flickering off their psychic coat, they'd soon bypassed the flames and found themselves above lava dry land; the other side of the city street. A glance beyond his shoulder confirmed the remaining beasts had given up their pursuit; no hounds were tracking them by land either. She kept an eye open until their flight slowed and the river was far from sight.

Contented, a sigh slipped free from her lips; she allowed her head to rest in the crook of his shoulder. It hadn't been a particularly taxing endeavour, far from it in fact, but she told herself that taking this momentary respite was wise. It was unclear when they'd find a suitable home, their next proper rest could be hours if not days away. That and, as much as she'd ever admit it, he did make an especially good pillow.

Just as she'd gotten comfortable, her ears flicked in response to his voice, "You've gotten stronger again Blaze, I can tell. We'll beat Iblis for good soon, I can feel it!"

The feline couldn't help but smile, "As have you Silver, I remember when those bats could outpace your flight. I know you're stronger than you think."

Even through the cyan light Blaze could see the blush on his face, she couldn't help noticing how quickly his eyes had flickered back to the city ahead. While he was oblivious to most of his own embarrassing actions, she knew the hedgehog couldn't handle compliments. Blaze fully understood why he was like this. When they were small, she'd hear him struggle to compliment himself before training, shouting about how strong he was and how he'd fix the future with his own hands in an incredibly shaky and uncertain voice. However, whenever she said those same words to him the hedgehog was overjoyed; rather than struggle under the weight of his own goals. He'd always do his best, hoping to show her she was right. It was undeniably endearing, watching the glow in his eye and the red on his cheeks as he pushed himself further than he thought possible; likewise, his drive had driven her to get stronger.

"Hey, that one looks pretty good. Want to give it a closer look?"

His words pulled her from her thoughts; Blaze quickly tore her eyes from him and to the way ahead. It didn't take long to sight his selected abode, wedged between a florist and a haberdashery was a rather unsightly green door. The slot between the two buildings was thin but above it was what appeared to be two separate apartments, one atop the other, or a singular dual story apartment.

"By living in the lower floor we'd be sheltered from the flying monsters, but by being above the ground floor we'd be protected from the hounds and golems," She mused, "That's a surprisingly sensible choice."

"Oh, y-yeah. Of course," By his stutter she could tell he hadn't thought that far ahead, "I also noticed the door and windows are in good condition, that means the insides should be safe."

Feet met the ground before Silver gently set her down. The hedgehog was right, while the paint had peeled and faded with age the door stood solid before them; charring licked near its edges but hadn't reached the door's centre. Blaze went to step forward only to feel something tug near her waist, glancing back she found her tail wrapped around a befuddled Silver hedgehog. Red returned to her face, Blaze tugged her tail to follow and stepped up to the hearth; hand grasped the doorknob.

A crease quickly crossed her brow, "It's locked. Somehow, despite being abandoned for who knows how long, it's still shut tight." Having hoped to push on and hide her embarrassment, now unable, she took a few steps back; arms folded across her chest.

"Really? This place must be really safe," She heard him step forward, the whir and glow of psychokinesis soon following.

He wasn't wrong. Though most doors were still locked, the licking of flames had worked away at their frames; with no more than a shove the charcoaled wood would give way and rusty hinges would swing.

Pushing away the last of her blush, Blaze took in the surrounding city. It wasn't all untouched, many of the lower level shops had lost their doors entirely, but in comparison to their prior homes and much of the city, this place was untouched. Blaze could only compare its miraculous sanctity to a survivor settlement, but those homes had been rebuilt and had a defended perimeter. She had one theory to explain the area's good fortune; they looked to have found an upper-class area of the city. There were no corner shops or supermarkets; instead, the area was rife with clothing stores and those that specialised in luxury goods. Nowhere to buy food nor survival equipment, this had been one of the first districts to clear following Iblis' rise; without lives to snuff out, the monsters had no reason to hunt here.

"Sorry for the wait! I've finally got it." She heard the door creak open, "The lock was weird, way more complicated than the usual sort; lots of pins to push in." As if to accentuate his point the lock suddenly resealed, the latch springing out the open door. "This place seems really safe, I guess the river kept other survivors from moving here."

"It does, but I don't think we'll find much food around here." Blaze agreed, "It seems like a smart trade-off, but we'll need to see how manageable it is. Let's just see if it's as safe on the inside as it looks."

Silver nodded; using his power to disengage the lock before leading the way up, as Blaze closed the door his glowing symbols became their only light source. Time had been kind to the building but it wasn't immune to its stresses; with each creak of the stairs crumbling paintwork would harmlessly flake from the walls and ceilings. Blaze raised a hand to her muzzle to protect against the particulate and soon Silver had done the same. She'd been proven correct in her assumption, be it only for this abode, no person or monster had entered these walls since society fell. Silver came to a halt before her; she heard the groan of a door handle before the squeal hinges as he pushed another door open.

"It looks clear to me, no real damage so far." Beyond his rucksack Blaze saw his ears perk up and with them, his tail began to swish. Before he spoke she knew what he'd say. "I think I like it already…"

"Let's make certain it's secure before we set our hearts on it."

They shrugged the bags off of their shoulders, setting them by the door. As anticipated the apartment indeed had two floors, a thin set of stairs ran alongside the indoor hallway; ascending into darkness and beyond the reach of his light. Discounting the entrance there were only three doors on this floor, the one on the immediate left had been long left open Presumably there was a kitchen and some sort of living space, what the third door hid was more of an anomaly; perhaps a bedroom or a bathroom. Silver was taking it all in, using his power to neaten what'd been jostled during the evacuation. Sets of shoes, heels and slippers alike, were quickly aligned before he flipped upright a coatrack toppled long ago. Two coats still hung on it, a well-worn leather jacket and a light, mint green, cardigan with billowing sleeves.

"I guess, with all the fire, they wouldn't have been useful…"

For a moment she saw the excitement fade from his eyes, likely remembering this house hadn't always been empty. She steeled herself, reaching across to take his hand. "It looks like they made it outside, must have heard about it long before Iblis took over the city."

"Right," His smile was weaker but it had returned, "Hopefully they got away and found somewhere safe to live."

Blaze returned the expression, nodding; "We'll put what they left behind to good use, I'm sure they'd rather that than it go to waste."

That soft smile grew stronger still, "So, you think we can stay here?"

"By the looks of it so far, yes." She had to turn away as that spark fully returned to his eyes, "But it's better to be safe than sorry."

Turning from the hedgehog's joy, Blaze scanned their surroundings once more. There were picture frames on the stair wall, Silver's light reflecting off their glass and obscuring their details. Judging from the lack of light upstairs there weren't any holes in the ceiling, though a shut bedroom door could be hiding a world of damage.

She raised her free hand; following a moment's focus a bright orange flame was flickering from the tip of her forefinger. "I'll head upstairs, you check down here."

The naïve hedgehog was beaming again, stepping in much to close and squeezing her hand. "Alright, I'll give it a quick once over and head on up! If you need anything just call." He left her, chest fluttering and fire briefly spread across all her fingers.

Reigning in the glow she managed to set off, half hearing the sounds of cupboards being opened as she climbed the stairs. The teal ambience was gone, in its place a warm orange one. The stairs creaked, just like the ones before, and with every step long-settled dust spiralled up to tickle at her nose. As she passed the first picture Blaze couldn't help but take notice of it, three young girls sharing periwinkle fur and jade eyes. They were sisters most likely, with so few similarities between them they were likely triplets, no older than twelve. She ascended higher, her eyes caught the next frame; a family photo. The three sisters had returned, looking even younger, but behind them stood a squirrel who's fur matched theirs and an owl with his daughter's eyes. Though the family connection caught her eye it wasn't the first thing to; rather, that was the way they dressed. It looked to be a wedding photo and, though it was clear the parents weren't the wedding couple, the quality of the dresses was rather stunning. The daughters looked like they might be princesses, their dresses almost like ball gowns, while the mother's was long and sleek; the patterning on its upper half looked to be stitched like feathers.

As she neared the top of the stairs there was one more picture, this time depicting an extended family. All five from the prior picture were there, now dressed much more casually, but among them was another owl, an elder woman with greying feathers, and a robin with a bright red chest. It took less than a moment to notice, the owl was wearing the cardigan and the robin a leather jacket. The same outfits from the hall. This had been their home.

Blaze cast such thoughts aside, having reached the second-floor hallway. There were four doors, all but the end one closed. She pushed open the closest, a door on the right, and light filtered into the hallway. Heading inside Blaze found the room clean and barren, a large single bed at the far end of the room (its covers neatly made) and a small metal alarm clock on the bedside cabinet. The cupboards and drawers were empty, Blaze quickly understood this had been a guest room… likely one for the birds' son and his wife. Refusing to let herself dwell on that, Blaze snuffed her fingers and drew the curtains fully open; allowing the orange light of flames to properly fill the room and thus brighten the hall.

She quickly crossed to the room opposite but this time the room wasn't so empty. There were three separate beds aligned along the far wall, their bedclothes nearly made and a soft toy topping each pillow. In the corner was a plastic box filled with toys, next to it a wooden doll's house that looked to be handcrafted. As she pulled her eyes from the sight, they met with a dusty corkboard; littered with the scribbling of children, ranging from graded schoolwork to drawings of Chao and the family. A sigh escaped her lips, her imagination alight with the trio of girls playing in the room long before the end had come. They hadn't been staying here when the world ended, the family would've been separated by monsters and distance. She hoped they'd managed to reunite. Again, trying not to dwell on such thoughts, Blaze drew the curtains open; the light colourising the red roof of the toy house and the splotchy drawings on the wall. The room was safe, that was what mattered.

Quickly exiting she made her way to the last unopened door. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, this beyond the light of the hall this room was pitch black. Relighting her fingers she found herself in a bathroom, unlike the prior two rooms there'd clearly been a scramble for supplies. Much of the toiletries had fallen out of their cupboard, including a shattered cologne bottle that had long lost its scent. There was no window, frosted glass or otherwise, and thus Blaze turned toward the final room.

Undoubtedly, this room would hold the most memories. Even peering through the half-ajar door the feline could see the mess, on the immediate left was a walk in wardrobe and much of its clothing was strewn on the floor. Waving away her flames Blaze pushed inside, it was by far the messiest room. The bedclothes were scattered across the room, not a single drawer was left unopened and a picture had fallen from the bedside cabinet. She'd forgotten moving into a home was, in a lot of ways, more difficult than an old shop or restaurant. Stepping over the clothes she drew open the curtains, unlike the other rooms this had broken. The glass wasn't inside; undoubtedly one of the elders had stumbled into it during the panic.

"It's all clear down here Blaze! Rotten food in the freezer but, outside that, it shouldn't be too hard to clean up!"

Just as Blaze turned away from the window, about to call back to him, something caught her eye. Hanging on the far side of the wardrobe's door was a dress, but even by what little of the hem she could see; Blaze knew it wasn't a normal gown. More than a little hesitant she reached up, taking it by the hanger and drawing it out. It was a sleeveless white dress masked grey by dust. Its skirt was wide and long. The neckline was rather exposed, a permeable layer of silk decorated with two-dozen sewn white lilies. At the top of the hanger was a veil, moving it aside Blaze saw a note written and stuck to the hook; 'For Madelyn Argyle, due for review. To be finalised by the 22nd of March.' Had she not seen the veil Blaze might have convinced herself otherwise, but this was going to be someone's wedding dress. Two hundred years ago, the end of the world prevented Madelyn's wedding. Her dress went unused. Someone had come so close to settling, just like the family in this house. Who was it for, perhaps a relative? Maybe the parents were yet to marry? Whoever this Madelyn was, they weren't much taller than Blaze herself; the dress almost looked like a perfect fit.

Realising what she'd thought embarrassment flared, had she really just considered how she'd look in it? This had been someone's wedding dress, she couldn't just-

"Blaze? Are you alright?" Silver's shouting up the hall shook her from her thoughts; she quickly called back a reply.

"Yes! I-I'm fine Silver, I've just…" Her eyes flickered between the doorway and her dress, "Found something!"

Before she could overcome her blush, he was in the doorway, "Really, what've you fou-

The sparkle hadn't left his eye but at the sight of the dress Blaze swore it grew even brighter, he stumbled his way into the room; tripping over the piles of clothes. Glad to be rid of the thing she let him take it, turning away. "Oh wow! They managed to get another one done before the end, it looks so pretty."

"Another one?" She questioned.

"One of the rooms downstairs looks like a workshop? There are lots of different fabrics and sketches for designs. I'm pretty sure the couple who lived here made them for a living." He explained, "On the fridge, there are hundreds of photos of people in dresses like that and it's not just the ones from their family, there's way too many for that."

"I see." Despite her best efforts, Blaze's eyes had drifted back to the dress, "It's sad to think she never got to wear it, she was so close to fully settling but they had the chance stolen from them…" There that word was again; perhaps that was why the dress had struck such a cord.

It was then that the hedgehog asked the unimaginable, "Do you want to try it on?"

Cheeks flushed a warmer red, "S-Silver, this is someone's wedding dress."

"I know that, but you said it's better that we use the things people left behind. We should put it to good use." Despite the nature of his question, Silver was clearly unembarrassed. "If there was a problem with that, then we shouldn't be in a house like this, right?"

"You're so naïve." Blaze felt her temperature soar higher still, she wanted to ask why she'd ever use a dress like this but the embarrassment it would bring was just too much. She attempted to scrutinise his stare, undoubtedly frowning as she scanned for some speck of understanding or motive, only to be met with blinking confusion and an eventual glint of fear. He couldn't have understood what he was implying, talking about her having a use for a dress like this. Her arms folded as she turned away from him, "If you wait outside I'll put it on."

"I-I mean, if you don't want to you don't have-

Blaze took back the dress, certain fear had prompted his stutter rather than some sudden upwelling of embarrassment, "I said get out, I-I'll call you when I'm ready."

He tried to stammer a few more words out but, with another blushing glare, she sent him stumbling from the room; closing the door behind himself. There were no further footsteps, he was probably leaning against the door and questioning whether he'd made some mistake. Blaze felt the fabric between her fingers, even outside of his view her ruddiness refused to fade. It hadn't quite set in that'd she'd be doing this… it wasn't as though she wore dresses often, they were constantly fighting and searching for resources; clothes were meant to be practical rather than pretty. Blaze held the dress against herself and, as she'd thought, it was almost her size. Maybe a little broad on the shoulders and perhaps it was just a little long but Blaze knew she'd at least get it onto her frame.

Even through her gloves, she could feel the softness of the material. The brush of her thumb unveiled a brilliant white layer beneath long set dust. It was so delicate; she couldn't run and fight in a dress like this regardless oh want but Blaze got the feeling it would tear under any strain. Blaze gently drew free the hanger and veil, setting them on the bed, before gently brushing off the gown, struggling to ignore the tickling of her nose and eyes.

Why was she doing this? Before she'd scared him off he'd taken his word back, told her she didn't have to wear it if she didn't want to. Did she want to wear it? The undeniable answer forced a sigh from her lips, she'd called him naïve but who was really being childish. Just as she knew him better than he knew himself, he knew the same of her. Perhaps it'd been how she held the dress or the way her eyes had lingered upon it. Regardless, something had given away that tiny, insignificant, nagging want.

Even after her minimal effort, the dress was brighter than it'd been for the last a hundred years. She lowered it to the ground, spreading it wide so the carpet was visible through its centre. Blaze slipped off her heels, not wanting to chance a misstep tearing the fabric, before shedding her purple overcoat; a white string top that matched her tights lay beneath. She stepped into the dress, pulling it up her body. It was surprisingly comfortable. Well, being designed to be worn for an entire day, she supposed that made sense. It didn't catch on her fur and, though it clearly wasn't suited for fighting, her upper body felt free to move. Perhaps even, a little too free.

The dress seemed to hang off of her shoulders, refusing to remain taught no matter how she shifted it. It had been a long time since she'd last worn a dress and she'd never worn one quite like this. They'd been simple and plain, the sort she could throw on in a pinch and still wear while fighting, rather than… this. Blaze reached behind herself, trying to tug the dress from a different angle, only to find it split in two. There was a gap, what felt like loose ribbons hung between the two sides. This was complicated, she'd worn dresses with zips before but this was on a different level. She tried to approach the strings from different angles, first over her shoulders and (when that failed) reaching up her back.

It seemed like she was supposed to pull the two sides, tightening them, before fastening it with a knot or through some loop she couldn't see. Fiddle as she might, she couldn't get it to work; she'd pull the strings and the dress would close but she couldn't retain that tension and tie a knot. Even if she took the dress off, she doubted she'd be able to sort it before pulling it up her body. Especially not without ripping it. There was a collar to it that, when the back closed, became far more form fitting; far too tight to shift past her shoulders. This dress required two people, one to wear it and one to fasten it. There were only two people in the house.

Blaze pushed a hand to her chest, attempting to hold the dress in its proper place, feeling the heat of embarrassment return to her cheeks. It wasn't as though she was naked beneath the loose dress, it was no worse than when she wore pyjamas, but the combination of the dresses' purpose and her compromising position was catalysing her blush. Her mind scrambled for another way, face twisting as she continued to fumble with the ribbons at her back. Whenever she successfully tied a knot it'd be much too loose, untying those knots was even harder. Just as she'd undone a knot, a voice cut through the door.

"Blaze, is everything okay?" The ribbons slipped from her grasp, she hadn't realised how long she was taking.

"Silver, I…" She turned away from the door and to the window, again pressing a hand to her chest in an attempt to hold the dress in place. "Can you come in, I need your help."

"I'm coming, what's wro-

The door had been flung open, he'd stumbled in, and undoubtedly hesitated at the site. Try as she might, she couldn't find the strength to look back to him. "I can't tie up the back myself, can you…" She didn't quite know what to say but she hoped he understood.

There was a pause, soon followed by footsteps. "I-I'll give it my best shot?"

Unable to see him, she couldn't place his stutter. In hindsight, she wasn't sure how much the hedgehog new about marriage. He claimed to know what a wedding dress was, but had he just seen the word downstairs? Blaze herself only knew the basics, that marriage was a celebration of love bringing people together, that objects, most commonly rings, would be exchanged and vows given. Being truthful to each other, treating the other when they're sick and protecting one another. As she thought of them, Blaze felt Silver's touch; his hands had finally reached the back of her dress.

Blush bubbled further; if those vows were the criteria to marry then they already met them. Being truthful? Even when he wasn't, understating an injury or his hunger, she could read his face as clearly as he could read hers. Treating the other when they were sick? Of course, they did that. One of the few times they'd bicker was over who to treat first, be it injuries or illness. Protecting one another? They'd done that today even, they did that every day. She'd give everything to see him safe and Blaze had no doubt he'd do the same for her. It wasn't that they were doing it out of choice though; they were doing it to survive.

Weren't they?

They'd chosen to survive together. They'd decided to change this world together. She didn't have much choice, the flames that clung to her kept away others, but he could have fit in at one of those survivor settlements. Truth be told, he was probably better served there; helping maintain their homes and defending people. It was so easily imagined. The pact they'd made in their youth, promising to fix the world together, was the strongest vow they'd made. Could it be compared to marriage? The words 'till death do us part,' another common vow, came to mind. It'd take that much to undo their bond at the very least, she couldn't imagine one of them dying without the other… even if it was very easy to imagine them dying for one another.

He was still working away but she managed to pull her hand from her chest, finding the fabric almost fully taut. "Thank you Silver, are you almost done?"

"Th-There's just a couple more, they're really fiddly." He explained, the warmth of his breath so close to her ear refreshed her blush. "I think I'm doing it right, does it feel okay?"

"Y-Y-Yes," She swallowed, cursing internally her stutter, "Yes, Silver. You're doing fine."

Though her mind was still stuck on marriage, she managed to pry it away from the prior comparisons. The other things she knew were rather strange, smaller pieces of a bigger puzzle she presumed. Things like a thrown bouquet determining who was going to get married next, the pressure of such a bond seemed rather unfair to dump on a person, and giant cakes being cut, cakes too big for even the large groups who typically attended the festivities. Fancy outfits, music and large halls were often involved, albeit those were a common sight at most festivities. The event seemed strange but, in a way, there was a wholesomeness to the concept. Commemorating a bond by bringing other people together, when things were finally fixed maybe such festivities could retu-

"That's it done! I-It might take me a bit longer to undo but you're all fastened up." The stutter lingered in his voice but, mixed with it, there was a clear excitement.

"Thank you, Silver." Blaze stood fully straight, fiddling with the gown to be certain it was on properly… but more pressingly, to buy enough time to quash her blush. "Can you pass me the veil?"

Blaze reached up, undoing her ponytail and taking the hairband around her wrist, just in time from him to pass the semipermeable fabric over her shoulder. She brushed loose much of its dust before raising it to crown her head. As the material fell into her vision she was able to make out its intricacies, to match the dress small flowers of a lighter texture were woven into it.

Her eyes closed tight, she turned on her heel and, just in time for embarrassment to swell again, she was facing him. Albeit, much too flustered to meet his gaze.

For a moment there was silence, not a peep from the hedgehog, but she soon broke it, "S-So, w-what do you think?"

Suddenly, her feet were swept from the floor; she felt his arms around her. Surprise forced her eyes open, she found herself staring down at his beaming face. He'd lifted her up and into a tight hug, wearing a grin wide enough to redden his cheeks. She'd forgotten he could do that, without her heels he was a good few inches taller than her.

Her gaze averted, just in time for him to answer. "You look beautiful Blaze! It really suits you!"

She couldn't muster the will to speak, only managing to avert her gaze from his; even through the veil, the sparkle in his bright yellow eyes was far too potent. Blaze lowered her hands to his shoulders, stabilising herself, fingers intertwining with his overgrown chest fur. It was such an embarrassing hold, his arms crossed beneath her thighs; the billowing fabric of the dress acting as a cushion.

"Is this okay Blaze?" Excitement has turned to worry all of a sudden, Blaze's eyes returned to his. "Should I put you down, a-are uncomfortable?"

"Y-You're so naïve, I-I'm fine Silver. It's just… you know," Despite her effort, words were still failing her. She was embarrassed enough as it was without explaining that embarrassment, "I don't wear dresses often and this one has… a lot of meaning behind it." The veil folded back on itself, awash in cyan light. Though the light still lingered Blaze could see the seriousness in his eyes, he was making sure she was really okay. It was unavoidable; he'd see her blush. "I-I'm fine Silver."

"I wasn't lying, you look really pretty Blaze." She felt her temperature rise further, the flush on her cheeks undoubtedly darkening, she couldn't look away; if she did, he'd worry more. The mixed messages of his compliment, the close way he held her and the seriousness of his tone wasn't helping matters.

"Thank you, Silver." Blaze knew his words were genuine but, equally, she knew he didn't really understand them. Well, she supposed she could return the feeling. Perhaps if they were both embarrassed it wouldn't be so bad. Her fists balled at his scruff, "Y-You look v-very handsome."

No, that hadn't made things better. Now he was blushing, his eyes dropped to the hem of her dress, and she was flushed twice as crimson. Both of them unable to move, struggling to think what to say let alone say it. With him looking away Blaze, eventually, managed to cast her gaze past him; opting to fixate on one of the few barren patches of carpet. Why couldn't this be easier? Why hadn't she just kept-

"Y-You should keep the dress," Her gaze shot back to him, only to find he wasn't looking at her. Pinkness tipped his ears and thoroughly lit his muzzle, "I-If you want it that is. O-Of course, you don't have to."

Eyes widened, curiosity was piqued. Why had he said that and, arguably far more importantly, how much did he know about marriage? "What use would I have for it? I can't fight in a dress like this."

"I-I don't know," His answer offered no confirmation but his next words were so easy to misinterpret, to make out as more than they might have meant. "M-Maybe someday you'll find one?"

Was that a proposal or a simple answer? Regardless of the meaning behind it, he'd left her too stunned to think. As he finally lowered her to the ground, their height difference once again becoming evident, her hands lingered on his shoulders for just a moment longer. Summoning the sum total of her courage, Blaze made a promise. "A-Alright, one day we'll find a use for it."


	24. Wet Kindling

A stone bridge lay underfoot; an arch, taking no more than twenty paces to cross, reaching over a gently flowing stream. From one end of the bridge stretched a forest path, populated by deciduous trees slowly losing their spring bloom, while on the other barren hills lined a dirt road; the route toward the city. Between these roads stood a girl, her hands set on the bridge's small wall as she observed the life that surrounded the stream. Blaze the cat, age fourteen; the ruler of the Sol Dimension and guardian of the Sol Emeralds, was awaiting a friend. The sky above her was grey and the air humid; she could feel a storm was threatening to break. If her friend did not hurry she would soon find herself soaked to the bone; being without an umbrella or jacket.

The feline was trying to ignore the inevitable storm, fixating upon a small troupe of magpies to pass the time. A trio, they fluttered and squawked as they played and bathed in the river. They weren't the most enticing of creatures but coming from a land overrun by seagulls Blaze could at least find some distraction in the differences. From their more cordial camaraderie with one another to the way the tips of their wings gleamed dark blue as they caught the light. With the sky so thickly clouded this glint wasn't shining often, and even when it did the sight was faint, but it was pretty to behold. Their actions were far more innocent than that of the thieving gulls she knew, there was something bizarrely endearing about how they'd dip into the stream only to spook themselves and tumble back out. Birds like this weren't-

A droplet rolled down her outer ear, she turned her attention skyward as the heavens opened; a cacophonous pitter-patter had begun. Fur and clothes beginning to soak Blaze closed her eyes, fists clenching, and from her back heat quickly unfurled; turning the drizzle both on and around her to steam. As her palms opened the heat took a more tangible form; a thin layer of bright yellow flames that coated her shoulders and shaped to hood her head, acting much like the upper section of a raincoat. Over the crackle of flame and the rumble of rain she heard the sound of wings, looking back to the stream she found the magpies had fled; be it from the storm or her ignition. Her distraction gone the princess turned toward the city path, still awaiting her friend; the young rabbit Cream. Minutes passed and soon, with nothing else to do, the cat found herself reflecting on the week's events.

The life of a royal was one intrinsically shackled to duty, with most of her friends living beyond her kingdom seeing them was more up to chance than choice. There had been occasions when she had justified a visit, rare days planned weeks to months in advance, but those dates would often be pushed back or cancelled as events transpired in her own world. Visits like the past week were comparably uncommon, occasions when Eggman's efforts would jeopardise not only this world but also her own. While it was fortunate these great battles were so rare the princess had grown to relish in the aftermath, the day or two she'd get to spend relaxing alongside her true peers.

She was set to go home yesterday, to linger long after a battle was abnormal, but Vanilla had promoted her to stay. Little Cream had grown to miss the feline and so they'd have a final tea party before her departure. It was to be a proper goodbye, for a few weeks least, and had been set up to surprise the young rabbit. Blaze had spent the prior night with Amy, enduring yet enjoying the endless talk of the hedgehog's blue soul mate, and thus Cream likely thought she'd slipped away. She would, of course, return to the Sol dimension tonight… but she was happy to indulge this venture, even if it made her a touch tardy.

Due to the impromptu nature of this plan Vanilla hadn't had a spare key to their small hilltop abode, ergo Blaze couldn't enter. The plan was that the pair of rabbits would go grocery shopping, collecting sweets and good for the aforementioned tea party, only to encounter Blaze during their return trip. Thus the princess had decided to wait on the bridge, thinking it would be a picturesque location to reunite, but in hindsight that'd been a foolish decision. She surely could have waited on the doorstep and still surprised the child, that way she'd have been sheltered too. When it came down to it she'd stopped on this bridge for no better reason than she felt like stopping… but what about it had prompted her to stop? It was a pretty location but not especially significant, maybe it wasn't the bridge itself that had prompted her?

Her brow creased, beneath the humidity of the storm and the crackling flames throughout her fur she could feel something; like a weight or pressure easing her to stay. It almost felt like armour, like a further layer of disassociation was shieling her from the rain. To accompany it a bizarre blankness kept creeping into her mind and with every second it seemed to grow more potent. She could only compare it to the feeling of suddenly forgetting, walking into a room only to forget why you entered or repeating a phrase to yourself only for it to slip from your mind. It was strange and, alike the pressure, she couldn't recall feeling it prior. It wasn't regret for stationing herself here nor was it the tug of responsibility having left her world for an extra day. What was this feeling, both physical and mental? There was a twang of… loneliness to it? But this wasn't loneliness in foresight, nor was it loneliness over her current position. Reaching into her overcoat she drew forth one of the seven sol emeralds, she looked to it for any reaction to this phenomena. But there was nothing, rain struck the stone and fizzled instantaneously. It offered no answers, wholly unreactive and stable it appeared to be unaffected. What was hap-

"Miss Blaze! I thought you'd already left!" A small, soaking, orange-accented rabbit had torpedoed herself into Blaze's gut; catching the usually perceptive warrior completely off-guard. As a pair of small hands reached to lock behind her Blaze smothered her flames, getting soaked but saving the child from being burnt.

Having returned to her senses Blaze pet Cream's back with her free hand, stowing the sol emerald as she did so; "I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, it's good to see you again Cream."

Looking up from the child's dampened ears Blaze could see Vanilla quickly approaching… she looked thoroughly bedraggled, soaked to the bone, and across her arms hung no fewer than six hefty shopping bags. "Young Blaze I'm so sorry, this yesterday's forecast promised clear skies! I would have endeavoured to hide a key for you at the very least, we started running the moment the drizzle started." The elder rabbit looked down to the rim of her dress, finding it muddied, she was panting. "It appears the weather has caught us all off guard, we must have run twenty minutes journey in five. We should keep hurrying ba…"

Blaze found herself zoning out completely, Vanilla's voice was lost to the white noise of the rain; both were being muffled by a bizarre ringing noise. Her mind kept drifting to this strange feeling, its lonesome underpinning blocked by a guise phantom forgetfulness. What on-

A tugging at her wrist returned Blaze to the present; looking down to Cream she found concern had overtaken the rabbit's face. "Miss Blaze, are you okay?"

Shaking her head the princess attempted to uproot the feeling; "Yes Cream I'm fine, don't worry." Looking up to Vanilla she extended her free arm; "I'll carry as much as I can, we should hurry home before you two get too wet."

Vanilla looked puzzled for a moment but appeared to politely shake it off, the bags now split evenly between them they set off toward the forest path but as Blaze neared the bridge's edge she stumbled and very almost fell. Glancing back it appeared she'd fallen over nothing, the bridge lay empty behind her save for a single magpie; no longer in the river, it had perched itself upon the parapet and looking toward her. Pulling herself from its vision Blaze managed to leave the bridge and as she did the sensation she felt, both the phantom grasp and forgetfulness, completely vanished. She didn't have time to consider this though, the rabbit pair was already pulling ahead, bags in hand Blaze rushed forward and quickly caught up to the pair.

They were less than five minutes far from the house and, while the treeline provided some cover, Blaze didn't want to risk melting the rabbit family's groceries, thus she was subject to the rain just as they were. When the three of them burst into the small abode it was a matter of setting down the groceries before drying themselves, making for the house's cramped bathroom. Blaze cast a layer of heat over her body and utilised an offered a towel to quicken the process (once again refusing to create flames lest she damage their property).

Curiously, no matter how she dried she kept finding damp spots on her face. Again she felt a tugging at her wrist, looking down she saw young Cream staring up at her but there was a look in the young girl's eyes quite new to Blaze. "Miss Blaze are you sure you're alright?"

"Y-Yes Cream, w-why-

Blaze froze. Was she stuttering? Why did her breath keep hitching? What was this wetness on her cheeks? What was happening?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder Blaze turned only to find Vanilla looking down to her, a surprising degree of motherly sternness to her face. "Dear, you've got more than enough on your shoulders, if something's wrong I'm more than willing to listen. I doubt I'll be much use if it's a royal matter but I'll do everything I can to help."

Touching her head Blaze found that her ears had folded back, her grasp was quaking; sudden shivers were wracking her body despite coldness having faded. Those strange feelings had vanished; she couldn't even describe them now, so why was she shaking? Why was she crying? Why was her body sad while her mind was plain, what was happening? Was this some kind of attack? Terror was setting in but, tracing her hand over her mouth, she found her lips locked in a state of dejection; opening her mouth she could force it away for a moment but it quickly returned. "I-I… I don't know wh-what's wrong." Her voice, despite the panic she was feeling, was still slurred and punctuated by sadness; what was this disconnect?! "I-I-I don't know… wh-what's happening. I-I don't… I don't feel s-s-sad? Why am I-

Her senses and body so inversely overwhelmed a crack of thunder sent her uncharacteristically reeling, stumbling back into the arms of the elder rabbit. Almost immediately she felt the mother's grift shift, now gently hugging the feline, "It's alright dear, it's alright; it's just a little thunder. Let it all out, I've never seen you like this before."

Before she could respond the younger rabbit was hugging her front, head buried in the princes' gut. "Whatever it is I'll do my best to help!"

While their concern was touching it only made Blaze all the more afraid, she had no answer; no matter how much she wanted to tell them what was wrong she couldn't. How could they believe that? They wouldn't, there was no way they could. A sob broke past her lips, she wrapped her arms around the young rabbit; lost, afraid and so very confused. What was this feeling, what could have caused it?

* * *

A swirling blue aether; devoid of all sounds and sights, lacking up and down, with no ground to stand on and no sky above. For Silver, these journeys, drifting through time, were becoming all too common. He was thoroughly devoted to his cause, apocalyptic forces consistently ravaged his time but he'd keep beating them back no matter what, however the frequency of his visits was worrying. It'd take weeks if not a month to figure out a calamity only a couple weeks after the last he'd fixed, there were two hundred years between these events and his own time. He didn't expect to live two hundred years, at some point the gaps between crises had to expand or his effort would be worthless.

Well, they didn't have to. Regardless of whether, they did he'd keep fighting but it'd just be nice to have a maybe one peaceful day. Even just an evening, stargazing or wandering beneath the moon, it really would be nice to spend one day free from his worries. While he enjoyed spending time with Sonic and his friends, it wasn't like he knew them all too well. He came, did his job, and left again; wanting to check if his past mission had fixed things. Perhaps this time he'd take even just a little break…

Still slipping through time, Silver thoughts were interrupted by… something? Not something physical, search as he might in this endless abyss his own body was the only object, but almost an increase in temperature? The warmth wasn't uncomfortable but it certainly perplexed him, despite how often he'd time travelled he'd never felt anything like this. It didn't feel like it came from any one place either, it was just everywhere. This oddity was fine though, he wasn't in pain and it didn't feel like it was getting hotter, more frightening was the strange feeling he was getting. He was alone here... that thought seemed stood out to him in such a strange way, like he hadn't been on a prior journey. It was like something was slipping out of his brain, his mind felt muddled in a way he hadn-

Silver tumbled free of the blue void, the return of gravity (coupled with his forgetful stupor) causing him to stumble upon landing; his right palm met with soaked stonework. Standing up straight and turning to watch the portal fade, he found himself on a stone bridge. To his left was a forest and to his right civilisation; the site of future destruction. Tomorrow morning, before anyone who could react would react, the world would be reduced to rubble. Well, it would've ended, it wasn't going to anymo-

Once again Silver had his train of thought interrupted, stumbling back against a parapet. Lightning had cut across the sky, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder. While he understood it the phenomena undeniably freaked him out, when such noises happened in the future more often than not it meant an enemy was upon him. Catching his breath he pulled himself up onto the bridge wall, taking a damp seat. His quills were slowly drooping into his vision, the sheets of rain soaking him to the core, it was a shame that nice heat had vanished but at least that weird forgetfulness had stopped. Pushing back his quills, the grey hedgehog took in his surroundings.

Immediately his eyes were drawn to an oddity, he'd thought himself alone on the bridge but that wasn't quite the case. Opposite him stood a bird, preening its feathers preening its feathers and clearly enjoying the shower. Thinking about it, when was the last time he'd been in the rain? If it weren't for the thunder he'd probably have loved it, well that and the oncoming apocalypse. As it was though it was nice, he supposed he could take a short breather before rushing off to prepare. Wiping more water from of his eyes, pushing his quills up further only for them to tumble down again, he spoke to the bird; "Bet you get this every other week huh? I'm not used to it yet, still seems pretty great even if it's a little cold."

The bird gave him one look before turning around, spreading its wings and flying off; not so much as waving good-bye. He figured they probably just had somewhere to be. Still taking in the heavy rainfall, finding his eyes drawn toward the forest path, no matter how he tried Silver couldn't seem to keep his eyes clear. Even holding his hand straight to his brow, forcing his quills to flop backwards, they'd refill in a matter of moments… and his eyelids felt so weirdly warm, almost raw? He'd rub his eyes clean but they would begin to refill the moment he stopped. He blinked as a realisation hit him, lowering his hand to his mouth he licked his glove. Salty, he was crying?

Immediately the hand blocking the rain dropped, he ran his forearm across his eyes in an attempt to halt his tears only to find himself shaking. "Wh-Why a-a-am I…" He caught himself sniffling and heard his voice waver. With a flourish of his left hand a barrier was cast around him, blocking out the rain. "I don't cry, I d-don't cry, I'm tougher than this! Why am I even…I-I don't feel sad, wh-why am I…" It was true, he'd been happy until he'd noticed he was crying; he'd heard of crying out of happiness but never done it before. Could this be that? No way; wasn't that happy, he was still a little freaked out by the lightning.

He lowered his arm, the teal-tinged world continued to blur. "What's wrong with me? I can't be like this, people are counting on me." He'd dropped from the parapet and resumed drying his eyes when a sudden movement caught his attention; something had dropped from the trees beneath the far side of the bridge. Walking across, rather he found himself stumbling, Silver looked out over the edge and saw there was a river flowing beneath, a similar bird (or perhaps the same bird from before) was drinking from the stream.

As he leaned over the edge of the bridge he was finding it strangely difficult to pull back, his breaths were hitching more and more. Touching his face he found his lips frowning and his brows knit tightly. His nose was running too, what was this; he'd never cried like this, not when he'd starved and not when he'd been injured. Those tears were loud and brief, impossible to hide, but these ones seemed endless yet gentle… maybe that was because he didn't know why his body was doing this. It was a different kind of crying, nothing was wrong; nothing he could think of at least. Wait, had he forgotten something? It felt like he did earlier but now… nothing, he thought he'd forgotten something but the feeling of forgetfulness was nowhere to be found. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, just confusion?

The grey hedgehog managed to pry himself from the wall, he found himself dragging his forearm across his eyes yet again; rubbing drenched fur on them did little good but, even with no one to witness, hiding his eyes brought him some comfort. He couldn't just hang around in the rain, he had a job to do; he had to prepare. He didn't get far, the ground beneath turning from stone to dirt, something snapped beneath his foot. Lowering his arm to his side he found himself on the forest path, not the track toward civilisation. He rubbed his forehead, trying to shake off this confusion, and turned around. As he stumbled toward society, no matter how wished they'd stop, the tears kept falling.

His wish wouldn't be granted until late that evening; when a girl he didn't even know left this world for her own. The happenstance of rain was all it took to keep the star-crossed lovers from reuniting.


	25. Nightly Routine

Crisis city nights weren't much different from Crisis city days. Thick cloud hung overhead, fires still wildly burned and you could rest assured that the spawn of Iblis still prowled the streets. With the sun down it was, admittedly, a little darker, but the ever-present flames prevented true darkness. Really, one could sleep all day and scavenge all night without the slightest change in difficulty; the difference was that small.

Yet, for whatever reason, Blaze had fallen into a routine based on this unseen solar cycle. The first of her yawns had just broken through her lips, no matter how she'd tried to smother it, and dampness was starting to collect in her eyes. The words in her poetry book had started to jumble, she was scarcely able to read them let alone understand the prose's deeper meaning. Thus began that evening routine; stretching slightly, she rose from the chair she'd been lounging in and began to wander through her abode.

She and her partner had recently claimed a townhouse as their home, gathering the prior occupants' heirlooms and enshrining them in what had once been a child's bedroom. The building was nice, being one in a row of houses had offered some additional protection, and they'd settled rather easily. Books and games they'd gathered were neatly pilled in the living room, the cupboards were filled with salvaged goods and any damage to the walls had been thoroughly patched.

Blaze climbed the stairs, another yawn sneaking past her lips as she reached the landing. A few paces more and she arrived in their bedroom hallway, but before she could sleep step two of this routine had to be completed. She pushed into the first door on the right, coming face to face with a thoroughly unused bedroom; its neat bedspread coated in a thick layer of dust. Ignoring that she turned to the closet, opening it and finding her clothes neatly arranged. Shedding her combat garb, taking extra care to avoid the various bandages crossing her body, she donned her nightwear; a loose-fitting grey tank top and equally baggy black shorts. Her gloves removed, she reached up and gently undid her ponytail. Free of it and her heels she couldn't help but feel she'd shrunk considerably. Regardless phase two was complete, with the spring of carpet directly beneath her Blaze exited her room crossed to the door directly opposite. Here she hesitated, not for fear of continuing but out of courtesy.

Ever so gently, the feline turned the doorknob and slowly pushed inside what had become her true bedroom. The room was dark, heavy curtains pulled, but every so often a pulse of cyan light would push away that darkness. That lowlight provided more than enough visibility for Blaze to glance across the room. Of course, that presence of that light meant the one who cast it was also present. Silver the hedgehog was fast asleep, lying upon their shared bed. She didn't remember when he'd come in from scouting, she'd surely been too engrossed in her reading, but it was wonderful to see him sleeping so soundly, despite the world outside. His quills and limbs strewn in every direction, he was laying on top of the duvet rather than beneath it; backside in the air as he took up the central section of their bed. Blaze tried to smother her laugh. It was common that she stayed up later than him but she'd only found him like this on a couple of occasions. Today's scouting must have really sapped him for energy; he hadn't had the strength to crawl beneath the covers let alone give her a proper rundown of what he'd seen. As Blaze rounded to her side of the bed she knew the end point of her routine was near, it lay somewhere beneath that hedgehog's left shoulder.

His face was buried deep into the pillow but, from her new angle, she could see dimples brought on by his sleeping smile. The patchwork of bandages garbing both their bodies slipped her mind as she watched him. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a slight movement. His foot was twitching, a telltale sign that he was dreaming but about what she could only guess. Perhaps some great success, be it the final defeat of Iblis or the discovery of some helpful artefact from a bygone era.

As she slid to sit on the bed the hedgehog shifted in response, a sound not dissimilar to a sigh slipping his lips, but he hadn't moved nearly enough. Fortunately, however, Blaze knew exactly how to handle him. Her hand came up to caress his quills, slowly but methodically returning his quills to their typical arrangement. With every brush and caress, she watched his expression shift, through her touch she was able to gently ease him further toward his side of the bed. Her fingertips rounded to the back of his ear and scratched, though she did so much too gently. Silver's head tilted toward her hand, his whole body shifting back into her grasp as he attempted to fully embrace that contact. After no more than a minute he was fully on his side, his sleepy smile fully displayed to her, and she managed to slip into a lying position.

Face to face with him, she could see the effect her touch was having. His grin had been warped, small fangs glinting through a broad grin and his brow smoothed through relaxation. Another yawn having broken through, Blaze's head fully met with the pillow; her eyes slowly closing. From there her scratching slowed, her hand slipped to hold at his nape and she felt sleep begin to overtake her.

But alas, it could not claim her yet.

A whine, bordering on pathetic, slipped his throat; his sleeping form lumbered closer in clear protest of her stopping. She lowered her hand to the small of his back and gently pushed her forehead to his but, apparently, this contact wasn't enough. The feline felt him even nuzzle closer, as if attempting to sink deeper into her touch if not reclaim the other side of the bed.

She bumped back with her own forehead but, as she did, words tumbled from his lips. Spoken no louder than a whimper, he pleaded with her, "Don't go, Blaze, please… I need…"

She felt the twitch of his foot and, prying her eyes open, she watched his brow harden. There was no doubt in her mind, the hedgehog was dreaming of her. For as long as she'd known him, she known he was a frequent dreamer. He'd often regale her with them as though they had really happened, sometimes Silver would dream of how he imagined the past; sailing over bright blue seas and clambering through vine filled forests. He'd even talked of a school life, attending classes and doing whatever it was they were meant to do in school. Oftentimes she was present in such dreams but, on occasion, he would wake up scared. Either he'd noticed she wasn't there or, as was more common, he'd lost her in some nightmare.

"So naïve…" Her hand gently brushed between his spines before returning to hold the back of his head, drawing his face closer to hers. Tired as she was, Blaze couldn't stand to leave him like this. The feline's claws pricked free as she resumed her gentle scratching, "So sweet."

The smile immediately returned to his lips, she felt him gently wriggle back into her grasp as coos flavoured his breath. Blaze heard his tail begin to wag; a gentle yet repeated slapping noise filling their small bedroom. As if in response, she felt her tail flop across their waistlines before gently curling around him. Soon her free hand found its way to his chest fur, her fingers gently dragging through it; undoing the knots that had formed over the day's endeavours. He smelled strongly of smoke, well… everything in this world did, but beneath that was the slightly more appealing scent of sweat from the day's work. She'd trained with him in the morning, they'd sparred as per usual, but they'd spent most of the day apart. She'd checked their inventory and gathered food from the surrounding area; Silver had both scouted for Iblis' inevitable return and, more crucially, flown around the survivor settlements to make sure they were still intact, crossing from one side of the city to the other. His powers were strong but, naturally, overuse had drained him. It was no wonder he'd fallen into such a deep sleep.

As she continued, claws combing deeper through his fur, more words were pushed past his lips, "Thank you, Blaze…"

Whispering again, she started a reply; "There's nothing to tha-

Lost in a reality all of his own, the hedgehog cut her off. With three simple words knocked the sleep from her, "I love you…"

Blaze told herself it was sleep babble, plain and simple, nothing more and nothing less, but with those words spoken her heart quadrupled in pace. He'd been dreaming about her, dreaming deeply enough to call her name, and had then spoken those three words; three words simple words she'd never expected to hear. Before she could catch herself Blaze was purring, her claws shrank as her fists bawled and teeth grit. Even if he was asleep, even if there was no one to see, the feline wanted to hide her face; embarrassment burned like wildfire.

The sleeping hedgehog didn't help matters; he slipped forward again, attempting to seek out her touch. It was too much; she kept her hand to his chest in an attempt to keep the distance. Eventually, he settled; head slumping against the pillow and a look she could only read as dissatisfied formed on his face. Her fists slowly unclenched, her heartbeat rang above her considerable purrs.

Slowly, without so much as a thought, Blaze found herself shifting; soon her chin hung no more than an inch above his forehead. She aligned herself with his right ear, its tip poking free from his mess of quills. Leaning closer still, heat growing in her chest and on her face, Blaze closed her eyes. Opportunities like this were common, quiet moments always heightened the tension between them, but only in her dreams would she dare act upon them. With him asleep, Blaze's confidence was bolstered but even still she was afraid. What would this do to their partnership? Would he return her feelings? Even if he did, how would that affect their future? It might make him reckless, overly defensive of her… well, more than he already was.

Despite these thoughts, Blaze felt a twinge of confidence; likely brought about by his sleeping state. In as soft a voice as she could muster, she whispered four simple words into his ear; "I love you too," His head tilted upward in response to the sound, her muzzle dragged through his quills only for her chin to linger upon his forehead. Still whispering, purred words fell from her lips; "I want to tell you properly someday but, for now, I guess this will have to do."

Without so much as a thought, Blaze's lips found the hedgehog's forehead; her hand gently tugging back his quills to better allow the contact. The kiss was anything but brief; she'd longed to do this for so long and finally worked up the gumption, Blaze was going to take her time. Despite the coarseness of their world, his fur was still soft. He really was a naïve wonder in this otherwise rotten city, she didn't dare to think where or who she'd be without him. They would have struggled alone, a far worse fate than struggling together.

Finally, the kiss completed, Blaze pulled away from his forehead; releasing his quills, but as she did a groan sounded beneath her. Silver was shifting, his movements were different from those prior.

"B-Blaze?" Though sleep's slur lingered in his voice, Blaze could tell he was awake, "Wh-When did you get here?"

Their eyes locked and, try as she might, Blaze couldn't smother her purr. There was no way he knew of the kiss, he'd only started to stir as she pulled away, but the thought of that contact lingered in her mind; she bashfully broke eye contact. Her eyes slipped to his lips, "Not too long ago. I'm sorry to have awoken you."

"D-Don't worry about it," A sleepy smile crossed his face but, beyond it, even in the dark she could see his blush, "I'm sorry I didn't come down earlier, I was just too drained. Rest has really helped."

"So I noticed, you didn't make it under the covers," Now that her eyes were on his muzzle it was as though bashfulness was holding her hostage, she couldn't pry her eyes away from his lips, "You were dreaming, weren't you? Do you want to tell me about it?"

"W-Well," His hesitation spoke volumes, "Y-Yeah, I had a dream, it was different from the usual sort though," It seemed as though his sleep talk was truthful, "You were there…"

"I was…?" She struggled to feign ignorance; she couldn't help noticing his face was drawing closer… or was she drawing closer to him?

"Yes and… w-well, we…" It was like she was magnetized; slowly but surely the feline found herself inching closer and closer. Her lips were so close to his, no more than three inches between them. He'd clearly noticed, "Blaze…"

"Silver…" The end of his name rolled with her purr, her head began to tilt as the inches counted down.

As the tension heightened Blaze's eyes closed, his fanciful dream had granted them both the confidence to move forward! Their lips were about to meet, purrs ferociously tore through her chest and her ears pinned forward as if pointing her closer still. Her tail began to lash in anticipation and claws extend, a second longer and they'd seal their bond with a kiss!

But, for some strange reason, their lips never met. Instead, Blaze felt something bizarre. She was no longer leaning toward him, her head felt heavy and there was a pair of arms holding her, not his arms hugging her close but an arm behind her knees and another around her shoulders. Her eyes flickered open, she blinked twice, only to find they aligned with a familiar ceiling rather than her partner. She was in the living room, no more than three paces from the chair she'd been reading in.

A groan slipped her throat as she continued to blink the sleep from her eye, she felt the grasp around her shoulder and legs tighten slightly. They'd been moving before, they'd suddenly stopped. Where was Silver? Turning slightly, she locked eyes with his frazzled muzzle; the hedgehog was indeed the one holding her, but for some reason, they were in the living room? What had happened to that kiss? They'd been so close to-

Blaze's groggy mind finally caught up to her body, reality crushed her like a toppled skyscraper. It'd all been a dream; she'd been so foolish! While Silver occasionally spoke in his sleep the phrases were rarely so concrete. Furthermore, while her warmth often drew him close, for him to move so fitfully yet remain in deep sleep; it was simply unrealistic. It all made sense; she didn't remember him coming back because she'd fallen asleep before he'd returned! Even her confidence had been dreamt; taking such blatant initiative was well beyond her current capability. A different type of embarrassment swept over her, not that of butterflies in her stomach and inevitable kisses but the type born of hindsight, the type that toted an overwhelming compulsion to kick herself.

Judging by the sheepish look in his eye the embarrassment was mutual, albeit heavily lopsided with her bearing the brunt. He was a mess, fur lined with soot and a fresh bandage bound around his left shoulder.

His voice wavered, "H-Hey Blaze, sorry to wake you."

"Silver," She accidentally grumbled, "What are you doing?"

"I thought you were having a dream so I figured I'd move you somewhere more comfortable," He quickly explained, her awakened grumpiness had lit a panic in his eyes, "Your claws kept coming out so I thought it might've been a nightmare, w-was I wrong?"

"Y-You're so naïve," Again, those words came out as more of a growl than she intended. Even outside that dream, her blush still ran rampant; chasing from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. The closeness of his lips certainly wasn't helping matters, "It was just a dream, a normal dream!"

Blaze quickly broke eye contact, her fists clenched as she turned to the ground. Her book had fallen, her page surely lost but that was the least of her problems. Even now the lowlight scene kept replaying in her mind, from his words to the kiss they'd very almost shared. Usually, her dreams would fade when she woke up, Silver was far better at recounting his, but given the contrast between the situations Blaze knew there was no shaking it.

"Do you want me to put you back?" Regret and dejection punctuated his query, her grows had clearly offset him.

While a small (very embarrassed) part of her wanted to say yes, her sleepy memories of that imagined night and the comfort she felt in his arms begged otherwise. Maybe it was the regret in his voice, perhaps she was simply too tired to refuse but the warmth she felt was undeniably contributing to her want to stay. Besides, it wasn't his fault she'd had that dream; on any other occasion, she'd consider this normal. He was trying to help her, carry her up to bed so she could rest peacefully; she would do the same for him, without hesitation.

Rather than answer him, she posed a question of her own; "Why didn't you use your powers to pick me up?"

"I was scared they'd be too loud, I didn't want to wake you," Silver admitted, "I guess that was silly considering I ended up doing it anyway…" The feline met her partner's eye once more, his guilt was plain to see, "I'm sorry."

"Just…" She rolled her eyes, feeling her face flare warmer still, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Though a pout remained fixed to her lips, his kind-hearted nature continued to warm her heart, "It's fine, j-just take me upstairs."

"A-Are you sure, I can set you down-

"Silver," Again she found herself hissing, the embarrassment was simply too much; reality mismatched with fantasy. Certain her words would fail the cat mustered some courage; she'd speak through her actions. Biting her lip, she pushed her forehead against his cheek, nuzzling in a rough attempt to relax him, before fully leaning into the crook of his neck; allowing her eyes to close, "I'm just tired, let's go to bed."

"A-Alright," She felt his grasp shift slightly, accommodating her shift, and started to walk, "Oh, um, I hope your dream was nice whatever it was…"

With her face hidden among his fluff Blaze hoped he couldn't read her expression, but from the strain in his voice she knew they were in the same position; embarrassed by their situation but too scared to confront it. Perhaps, one day, she'd have the gall to act as she had in that dream, but until then she was content with how things were. As long as they were together they were free to dream of what might be.


	26. Bohemians of Crisis

As crisis city days went, today was peaceful. Blaze the cat, age 14, was reclined atop a battered leather couch, leafing her way through a poetry book. She and Silver had spent the last two weeks reinforcing the city's library and today they were, finally, settling in. Together they'd restored the brickwork, welded metal bars to the windows and established a defensive perimeter through the placement of destroyed vehicles. There was only one job left, the transportation of their belongings from their old home to their new one.

Silver was currently seeing to that. She could have been out there with him, but a single spare pair of hands wasn't comparable to the grasp psychokinesis granted him. While she would struggle, bags weighing her down as she leapt across rooftops, he could soar over it all; well out of harm's way. Were he not so focused on training and beating Iblis, the hedgehog could likely live the safest life of all the city's inhabitants. He could live on the rooftops and only descend in search of food, beyond the monsters' reach. Then again, if he chose to live like, he wouldn't have become her trusted partner.

Finding her thoughts had overcome her interest in poetry; Blaze set the book aside and reclined deeper into the couch. They'd only spent a handful of nights here, just yesterday moving a bed into the library's children's section, but she was already comfortable. While their hearts were always set on their grand goal, destroying Iblis once and for all, she knew it was important to enjoy these moments of respite. Their new home certainly allowed for this, every room contained stories and histories they'd never heard of let alone read. This library contained more entertainment than they'd ever need. The building was gigantic, two stories tall and only the upper west wing had been beyond saving. Naturally, some of the books had worn or burned beyond being readable but the majority had survived the end times.

She was considering rising, be it to seek out a more interesting tome or prepare a meal for her partner's return, when a ringing echoed through the halls. Immediately, Blaze recognised it. It was the ringing of a chandelier with fifteen bells bound to it in place of candles, the security system they had set up. Whenever the door was pushed open the bells would ring, alerting those inside to what may be an intruder. But Blaze had no idea if that was him or a wanderer or one of Iblis mon-

"Blaze, I've found something really cool! Come quick!" Through doors and walls, his voice had rung out louder than the bells. He was good at being loud when he wanted, be it calling out to her or shouting about saving the future.

Curiosity piqued, she began to make her way toward the library's entrance. She'd sat near the far end of the first floor's fiction section, the area specialising in older poetry and prose over the likes of novella or series fiction. Winding her way around bookshelf after bookshelf, she couldn't help but ponder on what he might have brought. It likely wouldn't be a practical object; he wouldn't be so excited for about a strong padlock or an unburned broom. He might've found clothes? The hedgehog didn't often wear much, but he'd found a handful of garbs he enjoyed wearing; a jumpsuit of some kind and an outfit from a lost Winter festival most notably.

Pushing past doors, she soon found herself at the library's entrance. All of their belongings had been abandoned at the entryway; books, toys, bed sheets, trinkets and clothes, split among suitcases, rucksacks and old burlap sacks. Whatever this 'thing' was, it was clearly important to him. Had it been something simple like clothes he would have brought them to her. No; this had to be bigger, stranger even.

She called out, "Silver? Where are you?"

"Over here! I've not gone far!" By the sound of his voice, he was through the door opposite to the one she'd exited; the more studious and scientific portion of the library.

Blaze soon arrived in the library's gigantic non-fiction section. The walls were stacked five metres high with books on subjects ranging from botany to architecture to cooking. Now in the same room as him, albeit a giant room with row upon row of desks and shelves blocking her vision, Blaze could hear the whir of his psychic aura and track its glowing light.

Her pace slowed as she rounded the bookshelves, what intrigued her most was that this item so clearly excited him yet was likely so impractical. Their choice to move into the library had been a difficult one, not only had the building required a lot of patchwork but its size made it an easy target. Despite that, they'd had their eyes on this building for years. Living here granted them access to books and games the likes of which they'd otherwise have to scavenge for, that made it the most comfortable building in town. New information and leisure were mere footsteps away at any given time. For him to have found a distraction that surpassed this, it hardly seemed possible. She noticed the light brighten with ever step and soon only one shelf lay between them.

No more than five steps later, Blaze immediately understood. The hedgehog had his back to her but that wasn't the first thing to catch her eye. Wrapped in psychic light and floating just beyond his reach was a grand piano, its stool sat just behind him. Of all the possible items, Blaze never would have considered this. A smaller instrument perhaps, something made of metal like a flute or something simple like drums, but never a lumbering grand piano. One thing was for certain, if it was intact, it was a find worthy of his overexcitement.

"Silver," With the call of his name she caught his attention, as he turned back his grin almost blinded her, "Where did you even find this?"

The hedgehog's eyes were alight with excitement; "There was a lot of activity so I had to take a different route. I flew past a giant skyscraper and saw it in one of the windows, I couldn't help myself!" He brought the great wooden mass to the ground once only to raise it again, as if unhappy with its exact positioning. Glancing to the surrounding bookshelves, Blaze determined that they were in the music section. Unintentional or not, he'd picked a fitting location.

Though such rules had been unenforced for at least two centuries, the irony of moving a musical instrument into the library wasn't lost on Blaze. She watched as he struggled to decide the right position for the large instrument, dragging it left and right through the air. Eventually, he settled near the far wall, quickly sliding the stool. Blaze knew what a piano was from depictions in a variety of books and, judging by those depictions, this piano wasn't in good shape.

The wood had lost most, if not all, of its lustre; though it was unburned the city's heat had warped the lid's wood and eroded much of its varnish. The keyboard wasn't missing any keys but she wouldn't say it was in good condition. They didn't sit on an even plane, many having sunk lower than was surely intentional and many being chipped. She stepped forward to glance inside only to find many of its strings had snapped, those seemed rather important to the function of the instrument. The chair wasn't much better for wear, what had surely once been an emerald green cushion was now torn and bleached a yellower shade.

Of course, that was to be expected; they were beggars rather than choosers and there wasn't much left to choose from anyway. Still, she had to ask, "It does work, doesn't it?"

"W-Well," His hand came to his chest fur and his eyes split from there, "Some of it does?"

Blaze allowed her amber eyes to bear down on him, "What do you mean some of it?"

"A little more than half of it?" He admitted, still pulling at his fluff, "That means it's most of them though, that's more than enough… I think."

Silver slid onto the stool, more of its fabric tearing as he did so. An expectant look was thrown her way. She rolled her eyes before lowering herself down next to him. Safe to say, the seat wasn't designed for two. While it managed to hold their weight her left hip was pressed against his right, even though she was fully sitting Blaze could tell he was half hanging off of the stool. The closeness was setting off… something in her chest, a strange warm fluttering of sorts. She felt him shift slightly and almost jumped, following his eye-line she found her tail had curled around and into his lap. Grumbling beneath her breath, she snatched it up; sitting on it to prevent any further wandering. With a final flick of his wrist, a book was pulled from the ground beside him, sliding into the piano's holder.

The pages were littered lines, numbers and squiggles sitting atop and between them. He stretched a little before lowering his fingers to the white keys, though he stopped himself before actually playing. His brow furrowed for a minute as if he was trying to remember something before finally the first sounds were played. She'd flinched as he started, a sound unlike any she'd ever heard echoing out from the device; the notes causing her ears to flutter. As he continued to play, fingers occasionally pressing the darker keys, she managed to settle somewhat. The noise was bizarre but not unappealing, questions about the music's origins and how it was meant to sound started trickling into her mind. Blaze couldn't help but notice he wasn't looking at the book, his eyes were constantly on the keys as he tried to play patterns he might well have made up upon finding the instrument. They were far from perfect, occasionally a note would fall out of place and he'd cringe; trying the piece again and again with a new note in place of the old.

She had to ask, "Do you know what you're doing, or are you just making it up as you go along?"

"Well… I can't really read the book," As he admitted that, his playing slowed, "But I thought that if I just kept trying I'd eventually figure it out?"

"I think that's highly unlikely," She truthfully answered, "I think you'd have far better luck creating your own songs."

"That sounds like way more fun!" His face lit up, "Just join in whenever you feel like it."

"Join in?" She blinked.

"Yeah, this isn't just for me after all," He was still beaming, clearly excited by this brand new toy, "You can play too, if you want?"

There wasn't enough space on the stool for them to sit comfortably, let alone on the keyboard for them to freely play together, but seeing a spark of excitement in his eyes and urged on by her own curiosity; Blaze pressed her first keys. Noticing her hesitation, he gave her a moment to test on her own. She quickly came to understand not only the point where the keys stopped working but the further along her side she went the higher the sounds were. Additionally, she discovered the speed notes were hit did affect their sound, if she pressed too slowly the note wouldn't sound but if she pressed much faster it would be louder.

Soon enough though his hands returned to the keys. As she'd anticipated, there wasn't nearly enough space. Their wrists and shoulders would constantly brush, hands crossing both over and under one another, as they slowly but surely grew more confident in their playing. Blaze was unsure how much time had past but, eventually, she started to feel more confident in her movements. She fully relaxed, a smile growing on her lips, and managed to play along.

Just as she thought they'd roughly synchronised, Silver's section came to a rather abrupt stop. Glancing to him, she found his hands had raised and wisps of blue-green aura were slipping from his fingertips, "Hang on, I've got an idea. I might be able to fix the other side."

There was a sound like the scraping of metal, followed by ringing and rumbling and rustling. It was almost as if some shining creature had entered the case of the piano. Leaning in slightly, Blaze managed to gaze through its open lid; she found the broken threads stretching toward one another, reaching out to reconnect to their parallel counterparts. Rust flaked from the wires like old paint being stripped from a wall, some of them were too warped to reach and thus a thin string of psychic energy came to connect their endpoints.

A smirk crossed her lips as she glanced back to watch him work, the way his quills bounced as he attempted to psychically hold the strings together and the sheer concentration on his face was a sight to behold. Following more than a little fiddling, twanging sounds occasionally emanating from the instrument's wooden hull, he pulled back.

A toothy grin graced his lips, "Alright, that should be the wires fixed? Well, not fixed but… you know."

Her fingers stumbled along the right keys, pressing each in sequence and uncovering brand new notes. Their tone didn't quite match the other half of the keys, but they were undeniably musical sounds. The further she travelled from his side the higher their pitch was. His aura's reverb was also granting the notes an almost ethereal quality; they echoed out and bounced against the walls and bookshelves. Now that they were able to play more independently the sound changed drastically. Their music was no longer so synchronised but with a wider range of notes to play, they were able to more thoroughly explore the instrument.

Of course, two people hammering at a piano together (without a plan or prior practice) didn't create the wondrous sound she imagined pianists could have in the past; but the noise was certainly fascinating. She supposed it made sense that the first time would be this way, as long as the instrument remained intact they'd be able to find combinations of sounds they liked; to grow as musicians even without a teacher. Perhaps, one day, they could play like those old pianists.

As her fingers continued to fall on those reconstructed keys, she couldn't help but think their unique twang sounded far more melodic than the hitched notes the regular keys played. Still unsure what she was doing, thoroughly unable to read the music sheet he'd set up, the feline's fingers glid across those ebony and ivory bars. She was producing some kind of melody certainly; finding keys that, when hit in the correct sequence, made a sound that bordered on appealing. Meanwhile, having had the chance to fiddle on his own before bringing the instrument home, Silver was producing something closer to what she thought good music might sound like. He'd found clusters of notes that seemed to flow into each other, the beginnings of a true melody even if they weren't quite a song. She couldn't help but throw glances to him as they played away, watching how his nose and brow would crumble whenever he misplayed and struggling to suppress her laugh. He was having fun but, like always, he wanted to excel; to truly to his best. His heart was so openly bared, be it in moments like these or his pursuit of their grand goal.

Curious, she gave a suggestion; "Why don't you try over here? I think your notes sound better than the piano's own."

She'd expected him to rise and swap places with her but, just as she had done to him earlier, he turned and leaned into her. Their cheeks bordered on touching, his shoulder brushed against hers and, once again, Blaze couldn't help feeling that flutter in her chest. When they'd first met she had been the taller of the two but now, without the boost of her heels, the difference was made clear. Discounting quills, he was a half-head taller than her at the very least. His long nose looked like it would about align with the jewel on her forehead and his shoulders had certainly become broader than hers.

Having caught herself staring, Blaze tore her eyes away; mumbling, "You're so naïve," as he stretched to reach even further across; head drawing closer as he, again, brushed against her.

With every keystroke she watched the symbols on his hands glimmer, resonating with the cords as they were plucked. Her assumption had been correct; as he played his tune in those higher sounding notes they succinctly flowed into one another. Every time he repeated a melody he seemed to grow more confident in it, short and sweet as they all were. His passion for the activity was clear, they'd come across musical instruments before of course but they'd never been in such good condition; much less on this scale. Things of the past drew both their attention, but they'd always fascinated him. From books to tools to toys to photographs and paintings, depicting nature and urban life alike, almost anything could catch his eye.

Blaze felt herself begin to slightly lean against him, matching the gentle brush of his shoulder as he played; "You're having fun, aren't you?"

A dusting of red covered his cheeks, surely at her words rather than touch; "It's just so strange… but in a good way, you know? I've never heard anything like this, I've never done anything like this," Despite his bashfulness, the hedgehog continued to play. He kept changing his tempo and trying new combinations.

There was a lot of truth to his words. Without backing music to understand the flow and cadence they'd never even sung before, outside occasional out of tune joke. Nursery rhymes were passed down family lines of course, but they could never know how accurate they truly were. To them, music was a lost art.

More words cut off her train of thought, "There's not really any point in playing music, it's not like it'll help us beat Iblis," Despite the sombre words he spoke, the hedgehog was still smiling, "Despite that though… I still want to do it. That's probably pretty naïve, isn't it?"

Blaze's fingers returned to the keyboard; her hands crossing over and under his in a much closer proximity, "No, but that was," Out the corner of her eye, she caught chagrin twitch across his brow and his blush redden, "Rest is important and we should find things we enjoy, both to take the edge off and well… for afterwards, of course. For whatever you want to do when it's all over," The music slowed, their wrists brushed again but this time their fingers came to intertwine, "I've got no idea what I'll do…"

She felt him squeeze her hand, their eyes met as the music fully stopped; bright yellow orbs mingling with her amber set, "What we'll do when it's all over," he corrected. Was he getting closer? There'd been no more than inches between them, perhaps it was just that he'd turned, "Whatever you decide you want to do, I want to do it with you. You're my partner, I want to stay with you forever."

Blaze had to look away, but her eyes only found their linked hands. She felt her temperature skyrocket, "That's even more naïve. If you already know what you want to do so I'll be the one to do it with you."

"Well, I don't know if I want to play the piano all the time. It's just kind of… nice, you know? It's not like we'll defeat Iblis and I'll end up sitting here all the time," He tried to explain, "I'll just do it… whenever it feels right. There's no reason to force it."

Those words resonated far more than she anticipated; she curled her thumb to top his. Despite the gesture, Blaze could only muster a two-word response; "So naïve…"

* * *

Silver was excited to spend another day in the Sol Dimension. Less than two weeks ago the hedgehog had fallen through space and time; arriving by happenstance at a strange cluster of islands ruled over by a feline he now knew a better than he'd ever known anyone. Remembering their erased history been a bizarre, bordering on traumatic, experience (initiated by the accidental touch of a hand) but he was more than happy to have remembered Blaze; let alone find her safe.

Since his arrival, he'd been on a brief break from fixing the future. He'd been living in a bizarre wooden hut that belonged to a friend of hers, sleeping in a hammock and venturing to the palace every day. Some days Blaze would take him to visit an island, on occasion they'd try a modern activity but often their time was spent lounging in the palace library. She'd work away at royal duties while he flipped through books, idle conversation flitting through the air. Despite her workload limiting them, they were able to enjoy each other's company. He was excited to see what today would bring, but more than that he was excited to see her again. Having scarfed down a quick breakfast, he quickly exited his temporary abode.

The sound of waves filled his ears, the smell of salt was strong in the air and the sky was both blue and clear. He wasn't quite living on the beach, rather just a stone's throw from it, but he'd come to love the sea. Sailing, hunting for seashells and so much more; this island nation had already claimed a space in his heart. Still, he didn't have time to dawdle; stretching in the morning sun he set off toward the castle… only to be immediately stopped by his housemate.

Blaze's friend, Marine the raccoon, was hammering away at the house; patching a hole she'd surely created herself.

"G'day mate, where's she draggin' you off for today?" She greeted and asked, "Maybe she'll take you up the mountains, maybe around the coral caves…" She answered again before he could even think, "Or maybe she'll treat ya to another doctor's appointment."

Silver cringed at that. While his days spent with Blaze were often simple fun, there had been exceptions to this rule. Yesterday was an example of that, the hedgehog's left arm was still more than a little limp from the various blood tests and vaccinations she'd insisted he have. Coming from a destroyed future, modern medicine had been entirely inaccessible to him, thus Blaze had seen fit to schedule a full check-up. To make matters worse, as that appointment ended, she'd dragged him off to the dentist; making certain his teeth were in tact. Silver knew it'd all be good for him in the long run, and afterwards they had returned to the library, but the thought of a repeat sent shivers down his spine.

"Good morning Marine, and not this time. She promised me we'd do something fun after all that," Silver explained, "I don't know what we're doing today but I'm sure it'll be great!"

"Sure mate, that's what she wants you to think," The raccoon grinned, blue eyes mischievously sparkling, "She's lullin' ya into a false sense of security. She's a cat, after all. She likes to play with her prey a lil' before pouncing."

A second shudder ran up his spines and, before he could stop himself, he blurted out a response, "Blaze would never do that!"

Rather than admit she was wrong, the little girl dropped to the ground. Her tools were cast aside and snorting laughter freely flying from her throat, "Honestly mate, you're so gullible. Only been here two weeks and already you're tied around my finger," She struggled to sit up, "I'm sure you'll have a bonza time with her, regardless of what torture she has planned."

"I was always told naïve more than gullible…" He still wasn't used to the young raccoon girl, so excited for adventure and quick to tell jokes, but he understood she was more than harmless. Quills relaxing, he managed a quick goodbye, "I'll see you later Marine, try not to hurt yourself."

"If I do, I'm sure you'll hear about it!" She called out, managing to return to her work; ranting and raving to herself about the inevitable voyages she'd lead.

He took to the air, gliding over the island's market town. The stalls were just starting to open, students were heading to school while their parents rushed to work. Despite having been here for two weeks, Silver still got his fair share of stares as he soared by. He wondered if the townsfolk would get used to him. The flight to the palace didn't take more than ten minutes, the island itself wasn't particularly big, but as he drew closer a sound caused his ears to flicker. Between the wind and the hum of his power he couldn't make it out but upon his landing it became clear. Music was being played in the palace. Someone was playing a piano. He'd landed in the gardens, planning to enter through the back door and avoid causing a fuss, but having passed through the hedgerows he found a koala blocking the doorway. Gardon, head of the royal guard… not that Blaze much needed one.

"Silver," He nodded a greeting, "I take it you're here to see the princess again."

"Who?" Silver blinked before quickly realising, "O-Oh, yes, Blaze! Yes, I am."

"She's not in the library, but I'm sure you'll manage to find her," The elder explained, turning and unlocking the door, "Just follow the music."

It was only as the door closed behind him that he realised what he'd been told, he was to follow the music to Blaze? But then, did that mean she was the one playing? He racked his thoughts and remembered the stories he'd read about princes and princesses, that there were often parties with lots of dancing. They were named balls, if his memory served? Perhaps this was like that? Regardless, the sound now had his full attention. It was wonderful, unlike anything he'd ever heard.

Silver followed the music up stairs, down hallways and around various bends until finally, he arrived at a door. He immediately reached for its brass handle but, as he did, he noticed a small metal plaque was affixed just left of the door. It simply read 'Music Room.' Bracing himself Silver pushed inside, the music he already thought was blaring grew louder still but its source overwhelmed his senses before the sound itself could. Blaze was sat at the far end of a large room, various instruments hung on the wall and music books neatly shelved. Of course, she was sat in front of a grand piano. It was as he'd first thought; she was the one playing it.

With his arrival, Blaze brought the song to a close. She slowly turned back to face him, "Whenever it feels right," Words spoken in another time and place ringed in his head. There was a smile on her face, her fangs were just barely visible, "I thought now seemed like such a time…"

He approached without hesitation, gawking at the piano in front of him. It was like the one they'd played, made from dark wood and having brass embellishments, yet to compare the two seemed ridiculous. The light bounced off its varnished surface and the wood was entirely free from scuffs. He reached past her, drawing a finger across its lid and finding it perfectly smooth.

Having convinced himself it was real, Silver finally slid down next to her, almost jumping back up as their outer thighs brushed. He hurriedly tried to explain his state, "I-I don't think I've touched one of these in this lifetime."

Her smile remained, "Well," Her fingers danced from left to right, playing the scale, "In this one, I've picked up a thing or two. I started lessons as a child, I don't remember much enjoying my music classes but…" As though it was the easiest thing in the world, she pressed the keys and drew forth a sweet tune, "With my renewed hindsight, I suppose there was some worth to them."

His jaw slacked as he watched and listened, her elegant fingers running wild and free across the keys; plucking from them sounds he'd never heard before. He'd heard music in his visits to the past of course but he'd never witnessed it being played, let alone by someone he knew. It'd always just been blaring from radios or phones, distractions passing by.

Blaze continued to explain, nodding to the papers in front of him, "I can read those sheets now, they're not nearly as complicated as they look," He felt something on his far side, glancing down he found her tail had coiled up and around his waist, "Just… join in whenever you want."

He watched her for just a little longer, coming to understand the patterns she was following and the regions of keyboard her hands tended toward. Of course, a side effect of this was finally understanding how truly enamoured he was with the sight of her playing. She had lived a peaceful enough life that she could dedicate time to this. He knew this world wasn't free of harm, but it was so much more peaceful than anything he'd ever known. That wasn't the only reason he stared of course, the longer he did the more he felt a strange warmth in his chest that threatened to spread across his cheeks and up his ears. He'd noticed it many times before but it only seemed to happen when they were alone together. As it grew too much to bear, he took it as a sign he should join her.

He started by playing on two keys, doing little more than alternating between them, and beginning to reflect on what he'd done before. There was no trick to pressing the keys, the sound was simply cleaner than that of the rusted strings he'd used and repaired. Slowly, but surely, he became more comfortable; reaching further to play. More and more frequently their arms would cross and the melodies they'd made in that past life came trickling to the surface. Of course, having been played on a broken piano, some of the tunes weren't quite as melodic as he recalled but others sounded a thousand times better.

Given time their shoulders would push closer together, their heads would rest against one another's and the sound of their shared music, fragmented and messy as it often was, would echo across the palace grounds.


	27. The Princess and The Privateer

**The Princess and The Privateer**

 _By Marine T. Raccoon_

Once upon a time, there lived a princess named Blaze, the sole ruler of the Sol islands; a dardy stretch of ocean with some plenty of room to sail, tons of islands to explore and lots of great folks. The princess was best described by three words, smart, brave and (above all else) powerful. That latter term came as a result of her pyrokinesis, she was capable of commanding flame to her every whim, but this was a power feared by many stupid folks; not only within her kingdom but those neighbouring. While many would flock to see her, few dared to step within arm's reach; a fact that had made this morning's mail more confusing than finding a ship in the desert and more startling than finding a ship in your dessert.

She had received a package from a country on the far side of the ocean, existing in a practically separate world to her own. It was from the country of Crisis; a land reigned over by the Dragon King Iblis. The royal dragon had sent her a cauldron, filled to the brim with gold. Gold that, the letter claimed, was a mere drop from his sea of precious metals. But this was more than a mere gift; it had come with a diplomatic proposal. The king had asked for her hand in marriage and had thus offered to unite their deeply separated countries under one banner. Those terms did, on the surface, seem pretty bonza. Iblis' country was known far and wide for its unmatched wealth… in fact, they were known for only one thing more.

Iblis was a tyrannical ruler. Neither elected nor born to the throne, he had emerged from the western sea following a volcanic explosion. That eruption had destroyed countless cities yet, despite having ruled for five hundred years, he hadn't restored a single one. While Blaze could relate to the issues that came with being made of fire, she really didn't think he was trying his hardest to help his people. Though she had never seen it with her own eyes rumours claimed that moats flowed through his cites; rivers no boat could sail… due to them being lava rather than water. That alone was more than enough of a reason not to marry him, but atop this; Blaze had a more personal problem. The young princess was head over heels in love.

The feline had taken the dragon's note with her, wandering through the city and to the beach, seeking out the council of the very hedgehog she loved. She knew, if she simply signalled him, he would drop everything and rush to her side. Of all her outfits, Blaze had chosen to wear her green ballroom dress her glittery green ballroom dress (the one that, no matter how much the feline claimed she wanted to burn it, she deep down thought was stellar) and matched it with her royal tiara. Standing near the water's edge, the sun not a half-hour from setting, she spied a rugged vessel near the horizon. Recognising it, Blaze raised a finger to the sky. A flare, no larger than her fist, shot into the sky before exploding like a balloon filled to burst with lava.

A minute past, the ship was too far away for her to notice any real movement beyond the gentle flutter of flags and sails. Just as she was considering setting off another flare, she heard the sound of scraping in front of her. The words 'turn around' were being scrawled in the sand, a small wisp of bright cyan energy flickering from the stroke of the final letter. Blaze didn't hesitate, quickly turning on her heel only to come face to upside-down face with her crush; Captain, Silver the Hedgehog.

The Princess and the Captain had a rather peculiar yet thoroughly intertwined history. During their childhood the two had been close, meeting on this very beach in the aftermath of a festivity. Blaze had gotten lost, wandering down to the beach in search of her parents, only to find a grubby little hedgehog searching the rock pools for crabs and pretty shells. That meeting was all it had taken to secure their bond, he'd shared the shells he claimed were his treasure with her and played with the young princess as though she were ordinary. When she'd gotten too overjoyed, fire exploding out of her as a result, he'd simply said it was bonza; showing off his own powers to make her feel comfortable. From there though, their meetings were scant but thoroughly exciting. Being the heir to the throne, let alone a walking fire hazard, the young princess wasn't often allowed to leave the castle grounds and peasants like Silver weren't allowed on them. So, of course, young Silver had broken in and been thrown out more times than either could count. He'd glide up to her bedroom window and gently knock on it; a gesture that, when performed now, seemed a swash more scandalous.

But, one dreary night, Silver vanished. One day, without warning, he'd disappeared; freezing the princess' heart like the kind of giant snowball you'd use for the base of a snowman. During a pirate attack, Silver had been taken hostage and, later, been forced to become a pirate. Fortunately, years later, he'd rallied a mutiny against the kidnapper Captain and thoroughly beat him, but he was lost halfway across the world.

For years both feared the other would have forgotten their bond, Blaze immersed in her royal studies while Silver plundered to survive; she'd heard he was a wanted man long before he finally returned to her. Despite this, their reunion was, as one would expect, really mushy and gross. They didn't quite kiss but, needless to say, the other's absence had made their hearts grow fonder; they sobbed enough to dilute the very ocean. To spare her friend from jail, Blaze quickly elected to make Silver and his crew privateers; pirates that would hunt and capture other pirates to protect her kingdom. While his bounty could never be removed, not without the acceptance of the curmudgeonly council of Koalas that aided the princess, it was frozen and registered inactive. All that had lead up to their current position; often apart but together whenever they could manage.

"Good evening my dear." He greeted, slowly rotating himself to the ground. "My, that letter looks tedious. Shall I whisk you free of this royal dribble drabble?"

For that moment, as she stared into his bright yellow eyes, her thoughts of the Dragon and his offer completely vanished. He was hung in the air, lips no more than a kipper away, wrapped in cyan light that (somehow) let him hang upside down and kept his hat on his head. Even through that psychic glow, his fluffy handsomeness was overwhelming. Silver wore a navy coat with its yellow cuffs and trimmings (left open just low enough to expose his chest fur), a matching hat with a ludicrously large feather and a small hoop in his right ear; every piece contributed to his thoroughly dashing look. He'd so thoroughly matured from the dorky little boy she'd played with in secret. The hedgehog's sharp, but well maintained, moustache was evidence enough of that.

As he embraced the ground, Blaze's arms quickly found his sides and she pulled him into a hug, tighter than the tightest clam, not that he minded in the least. "My Captain, how long has it been since I last held you?"

"Twenty-three hours, forty-eight minutes and thirty-nine seconds." He returned her grasp, one hand on her waist while the other found its way to the back of her head. His fingers dragged through her hair with greater fixation than that of the most focused beachcomber. "Much too long, don't you think?"

"Almost a day," She sighed into his chest, heart beating like seal slapping its blubber. "Much too long indeed, can we walk to your ship? I want free of the city."

"Well, of course, you only had to ask. It's useless trying to resist you." As their grip softened he moved to take her hand, both of them just about fainting as their fingers interlocked. With a gesture of his free hand, the waves ceased their lapping, bright cyan light was glowing from a stretch of the waters before them. His free hand dropped to her waist. "Shall we dance, my dearest?"

"Why of course my Captain." Blaze allowed the gap between them to further grow and, before more than a moment could pass, the two were waltzing across the water's surface; hardened by Silver's psychokinesis.

They were dancing toward the ship, their hearts the only beat to keep time with. "So, what's on your mind? Judging by that letter, something has happened hasn't it?"

Oh yes, the letter, she'd abandoned it on the shore. "Oh, well I'd hate to spoil this evening..."

"Nonsense, I'll help you shoulder your burdens just as you freed me from mine." His eyes seemed to sparkle, brighter than the shiniest doubloon. "If something is troubling you, I want to help."

She spun beneath his arm before drawing in close once again. "Are you aware of the Dragon King Iblis?"

"Ah, I have plundered his vessels many times; he'd send out gold to other countries in the hopes they'd overlook his crimes. I only visited his land once, his people were all rather poorly…" Sadness briefly entered his eyes, before he could twirl them from her view.

Seeing him so concerned, she gently squeezed his hand. "I had heard he was terrible but, you've seen it with your own eyes? You never told me this tale."

"Alas, there's not much fun in that story." He mournfully recounted, drawing her close before pulling away, "He keeps his land barren and his people hungry, despite the great wealth he holds. He has no guards defend his cities, only monsters to keep his populace subjugated. Out of spite, disgusted, we stole from his golden ocean and were lucky to escape alive. Though his army is weak, he is quite powerful. I could scarcely hold him back alone."

"That does match the tales I've heard." She raised her right hand to cup the back of his head, "He's asked for my hand… in marriage."

At that, the dancing stopped; the hedgehog's blood ran colder than an arctic beach. There was a thorn through his heart, it point sharper than that of the spiniest sea urchin. "S-Surely, you don't i-intend to…"

"For a moment it crossed my mind. I thought his wealth might bring my people joy, but it sounds as though he would torture them…" She muttered, eyes lowering to his chest only for him to raise her chin.

"Blaze, you know that, above all else, I wish for your happiness. I couldn't stand to see you with such a monster, it would rend my heart in two." Despite their more than clear mutual affection, to hear it stated so plainly from the hedgehog did surprise her. "But, regardless of my own heart's want, I believe that is true. He would bring your people nothing but crisis. His golden ocean will burn your people rather than bring them wealth."

Tugging his wrist, glancing to the boat ahead, Blaze managed to resume her dance. The words of his heart's deepest want struck a chord within her. Though his words often hit her deeply, those had touched her especially so. The illusion of mere platonic kinship had long been shattered, like what actually happens if you try to send a message in a bottle. A suitor or Silver, if she could marry out of love the latter would be her decision; in this and every one of her nine lives. For no matter how gilded her suitors' hands were, their wealth could not afford them the Captain's place in her heart. The same place that she took up in his own.

A blush brighter than an anglerfish's glow crept over her cheeks as she considered it, "Well, in that case, I'll certainly not be marrying him. I was only considering it for the good he might bring my people…"

"Do you have to marry soon?" Immediately regret washed over him, again he twirled her to hide his face, "F-Forgive me, that's not my place to ask. Your love life is your own-

Blaze cut him off, grasping his waist to meet his eye, "I do not, though I believe the council would like it if I did. Besides, the Dragon King is the first and only to ask for my hand; if he would bring terror to our people they would not have allowed it."

"What?" He was stunned, dealt a shock greater than that created by any electric eel, "How can that be so? You're smart, you're strong and you're… w-well." Surprise turned to bashfulness, "You're beautiful of course, more beautiful than anyone I've come across during my voyages. Your eyes are more beautiful than any gem and your fur is softer than the finest silk. Your laughter is more alluring than the call of any siren; even on such a surface level, you're wonderful. To think anyone wouldn't want to marry you, what possible reason is there?"

Her blush caught fire, literally. Flames were beginning to dance from her fingertips and embers were flickering from her fur. "M-My powers I'm so-

Before she could pull away a cyan glow overtook him, shielding him from her fire but allowing them to maintain contact. "But your flames are incredible. Your flames are beautiful Blaze, you can create warmth and light in a way no other can. It's breath-taking, those who fear them are themselves more hideous than the most putrid of blobfish and offer the world less than the most cowardly of cuttlefish."

"S-Silver…" Blaze still struggled to control her flames, the heat continuing to rise as their dance picked up speed; matching their passion for one another. "Is that the truth?"

"I'd sooner endure ten million stingray stabs than lie to you Blaze." The hedgehog promised; eyes so filled with honesty they might overflow and roll into the sea. "My word to you is no mere trifle, of course it is the truth."

They'd arrived at the ship, their dance concluding with the hedgehog dipping his feline partner. Though the moment was intimate, the sound of the crewmen bantering caused the princess' ears to flicker. The heat hadn't left her face but, though she was trying to hide it, Blaze was smiling. "C-Can we go to our private spot?"

"Of course." Without so much as changing their position, the two began to ascend… though the captain, rather immediately, regretted this decision. Suave as it had been in the moment, maintaining that prolonged eye contact, her lips being less than a sardine away and the feeling of her in his hands; it was too much to handle. For some time they just kind of awkwardly stared at one another, like two total dorks who mutually loved each other but didn't know if the other returned that feeling, regardless of how blatantly obvious it was that they did. Or, perhaps a better comparison would be, they were staring at each other like a naïve hedgehog who kept showing his love without realising it and a feline who knew she was in love but struggled to show it beyond rather blunt gestures she lacked the confidence to commit to.

Well, regardless of how they looked, the pair eventually soared past the deck of the ship (earning a share of stares and whistles) before passing the sails to arrive at their private spot; the crow's nest. He set her down in a manner not dissimilar to a confused tourist picking up a turtle egg before trying to return it, soon vaulting the lookout's railing to stand beside her. Wandering around its far side, finding themselves face to face with the open ocean and alone (well, as alone as one could be on a ship full of ex-pirates) a calm managed to swell over the pair. In this moment of relaxation thoughts ran through the hedgehog's head, was Iblis truly the only one seeking her hand? Strewth, he couldn't imagine it.

"Valuable as a sea of gold might be, I can't help but think its view would fall short of this." The sunset had cast the sky a soft orange, the colour being reflected on the surrounding sea, and was dotted with peach-pink clouds. Every so often whales would emerge, spurting water from their blowholes, and dolphins would rise from the water; flitting in the air and chattering before quickly returning to the sea. Also, there were like, sea turtles and tons of proper ripper jellyfish all over the place; not stinging anyone of course. Yes, the view was indeed beautiful, but it wasn't what he was talking about. "Seeing the wonder in your eyes and the smile on your lips, it's worth more to me than any treasure the world could offer."

Finally, seeing the setting sun reflected in his bright yellow eyes, words she'd long longed to say yet dared not dream were unleashed.

"Silver, marry me." The princess's eyes were full of diamonds, both her hands clutched around his right as she bared her very soul to him... only for it to tear him twain, a fault of his own innocence.

"M-Marry you? A-As in t-to the Dragon Iblis? I-I thought you said…" It was as though a cutlass had pierced his heart, splaying him all over the deck; a blade forged of his own obliviousness and laced with thoughts of some ludicrous betrothal pact that bound the princess. He quickly shook it off though, as if it were a mere glancing blow. "I'm not a priest I'm afraid, I'm a privateer. I can't preside over a wedding. C-Congratulations though."

"Oh my naïve love, how can you be so modest? Of course, I don't mean the Dragon," Her heart was fluttering, like a daft seagull that'd lost its eggs. "My heart longs for no other, in this or any of my nine lives."

The hedgehog blinked, as though fifty days of sea spray had splashed his eyes all at once, "No other than whom? D-Do I know them?" His stuttering grew worse, he went from itching his moustache to plucking at his chest fur. "I-I'm sorry, y-you should marry who you love o-o-of course. If you love them then… they must be wonderful. I will stand b-by and help you no matter what."

"Well, I should hope so. Seeing as it's you I love, my naïve dearest." As she made it clear to him, the hedgehog's heart skipped a beat. "It is you I wish to marry, more than any person let alone some pompous suitor I've never met. No person, no matter their wealth, rank or mind, could ever take your place."

Despite how thoroughly obvious she'd made it, not only now but throughout the years since their reuniting, Silver was stunned to find his feelings were returned. To think that, following their decade long separation, she'd swooped in and retaken a place in his heart; a heart he'd once thought filled with sailing and gold stolen from far nastier pirates, as well as vessels invading the country. It'd taken her little more than an hour to plunder and restock his chest with something more valuable than all that. Love.

"Really? Me? M-More than any prince or…" And yet, despite finding his feelings were mutual and feeling his heart race faster than an especially lost dolphin, there was a worry in his mind. "A-Are you sure about this? I-I love you Blaze, more than land or sea, but, wh-what of the council? What of the laws? They would never approve our union." She felt him squeeze her hands, thumb gently brushing the back of her palms. "I don't want to cause you hardship, having to fight such a battle over me…"

He wasn't wrong. There were but three barriers between her and him, three tempestuous maelstroms that so often separated them. The royal council were one of these barriers; while many of them appreciated the strength offered by the Pirate turned Privateer others longed to hold him accountable for essential thievery performed during his impoverished life. Secondly was the literal distance between them, for his work plundering pirate vessels and assisting in the defence of the islands. In times of crisis, despite her proficiency as a warrior, she'd be stranded at the capital while he risked his life in defence of it. Though these incursions often lasted weeks they had, on rare occasions, stretched out to more than a month. Though his crew was valuable, it was his psychokinesis they so desperately needed; capable of creating as much as it was destroying. He had to be present, in person, much to their dismay.

The disparity between their statuses however, that was the biggest obstacle. Though he had been made a privateer following his return to the islands, this offered him nought in the way of rank. In the eyes of the people, Silver was lower than even the queasiest and most squeamish of the deck swabbing Naval recruits. Were he even a middling naval officer, the likes of a vice-captain or even a boatswain, then his years of service would bring them close enough. But no, even if they could stand such time apart, his prior mentioned rap-sheet prevented him from enlisting.

But this choppy sea between them, laden with Kraken and Siren alike, only further grew the Blaze's want to elope. For, if they could overcome these hardships, what couldn't they as a married pair? Whenever they were together, she felt no man nor monster could beat them; that they could undo all the world's troubles through the combination of her smarts and the optimistic (yet realistic) way he tackled the world's issues. Tackling things head-on without hesitation, working himself to the bone digging through sand in the hopes of finding a treasured solution. But regardless of their barriers, she'd been building to this for months. Though today's letter had accelerated matters, Blaze knew what she wanted to do.

"Then marry me in secret! Let this bond be between us and only us, the world may never know the depth of our union but they will watch its waves spread throughout this land. We'll sneak away for late-night rendezvous, during the day we'll keep one another beyond arms reach but come night we can slip away from prying eyes. Be it on sea or land, I don't care where, whenever I'm with you might heart takes flight. When the sun's about to rise I'll return to my chambers, ready for the next day's work but already longing to return to you." She spoke, voice full of conviction. "Perhaps, some millennia following our deaths, some wonderfully adventurous raccoon will see fit to rifle through my diary and uncover the depth of our bond. Unseal a truth "

"Ah, I can imagine them now, some heroic Raccoon coming across it as she innocently rummaged for parts to build some grand ship." Silver responded with such bonza vigour, "They would deserve free reign of all of the sea that they would."

"Indeed, but even if that truth were never freed, it would make no difference to me." Her hands briefly left his, trailing down to the rim of her bright green gown. Without hesitation she tore free a strip of its silk-like fabric, tying it longways across the centre of his palm. "When you are by my side, I am stripped of my fears. I may safely stand in this crow's nest for I know you would sooner die than let me fall, than let my trust in you wain for the merest of moments. Your presence alone grants me courage I cannot comprehend." A darker shade of crimson had spread across the Captain's face and sweat clung to his sharp moustache, but beyond that, she could see the sparkle of joy and excitement in his eyes.

Silver's fingers caressed the fabric, as though it were the head of a new-born seal. "My dear Blaze, no trove of treasure nor even the most daring of adventures could bring me such joy. Even if it must be in secret, even if we must spend months apart, my love for you stretches further than the horizon and is deeper than the deepest sea." She slipped closer to him, her cheek falling upon his chest fur as though it were a magnetized pillow. Her eyes sparkled up at him; those orbs of amber were purer than any he'd plundered. His left hand met with her back, his right found its way to her ponytail. "If it meant we could stay together for but a moment, I'd give up all my loot. I'd spend all the gold in the world even just to say goodbye, submit to trial for desertion if it meant we'd share one last night."

"Oh how naïve." Her Highness grew closer still, fingers laced behind his neck so as to support her lest she swooned. "Thinking of goodbyes and tragedy at the beginning, let alone speaking it. You bear your heart so plainly, your joy and your fear, you don't even realise it. I have always loved that about you."

"Then, allow me to bear it to the fullest." With a single flourish of a psychokinetic hand, the princess was lifted to his eye level. He leant in, his long and round nose bumping with her petite triangular one. Anticipatory trembles tore through them both, purrs louder than the harshest thunder cracks ebbed from the maiden's throat and the warmth of her power had been stirred. "May I-

Before he could finish asking, she'd tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. They'd finally smooched good and proper, having tried and failed to hide their love they'd finally shed their stupid doubts and fears. They were ignorant to the crew beneath, proper stoked to see the pair having a pash. Tonight there would be a party, of course, but the following years would be the true cause for celebration. With that kiss, the princess and her secret prince, bound by spirit yet separated by the world, had forever secured their union. It was through their secret marriage that the Sol dimension would enter an era of prosperity. Across the islands, bedtimes were abolished, kids could stay up tinkering with their ships for as long as they wanted, and everyone got their proper share of sunken loot. When the dragon king took Blaze's rejection badly he was soundly trounced by the couple, defeated in battle and his people freed from their lava-ey homes. Oh, and the royal couple had like, fifteen adorable kids.

The End.


	28. Growth

"I'm afraid I don't understand the question Silver," A wise yet weary voice admitted, finally conceding defeat to answer a question asked minutes ago.

"I'm asking you if I should call the foxglove Melisa, or if that name better suits the wolf's bane. I know it's a difficult decision, it's not the best name for either of them, but I've already used Gertrude and Mavis and nothing else seems to fit them." Silver the hedgehog, age 22, groaned; eyes darting between the two plants, "Come on Espio, I'm begging you, which one is Melisa? Or is there a better name for either of them? I'm stumped."

He and his chameleon housemate were currently squatted and stood around the side of the house they co-rented; plants, pots, paint and a paintbrush at their feet. Their home wasn't a large building but, given that the hedgehog was a barista (selling plants over the internet to help make ends meet) and the chameleon worked at a struggling detective agency, they were lucky to be renting it. Its outside was painted a stark white with the door and accents a corresponding black. Despite the aforementioned plants, and the many others Silver owned, there wasn't much in the way of garden space. While there was a green patch around the back, most of his plants were kept in pots, on windowsills or in their tiny greenhouse.

"I…" The chameleon's voice was as deep as ever, but his hesitation spoke volumes, "I don't understand how you name your plants in the first place, let alone rename them. Aren't all your purple plants name Ember and Ignite and such, fiery names?"

"They were, and those names fit perfectly, but in the next…" Reaching into his trouser pocket and drawing his phone, Silver gave the time a quick glance. Four in the afternoon, "Hour I need to replant and rename all of them, I've made a terrible mistake. If she sees them I'm done for, she'll never want to see me again. I've not seen her in years, well I saw her yesterday, but before that it was years! I can't scare her away like this. She'll think I'm some kind of crazy weirdo who-

"Silver," The level-headed chameleon cut the hedgehog off, "Who is it you met yesterday? Explain properly and I might be able to help you. Why would a girl care that you've named your purple plants after fire? If she's going to find anything weird it's that you name your plants in the first place."

Well, he wasn't totally wrong. Silver's hands ran through his quills, gloved fingertips pushing them all the way back. Defeated, he whined, "Because her name is Blaze and… she's purple." Before Espio could get another word in, Silver quickly attempted to further explain himself, "I hadn't seen her for ten years! I'd completely forgotten about her until yesterday, I was doing my shift in the café when she walked in and the memories hit me like a truck. When she saw me at first I don't think she remembered me, but when she sat down she kept staring back at me until eventually, I went over and…"

Silver remembered to breathe; finally turning to Espio the hedgehog wasn't met with his usual stoic expression. Rather there was a quirk he'd learned to notice over the past two years living with him, the reptile's lips were twitching as he failed to suppress a smile. He was on the verge of laughing. Despite that blow to his composure, Espio managed to state, "Well, Blaze is quite a peculiar name…"

Heaving a sigh Silver slowed himself, tugging at his chest fur and crossing his legs, "We were best friends as kids, we spent every minute we could together. You know it yourself, I was never the best student; she'd help me with that and, to make up for it, I'd help her with her powers." Silver blinked, realising he'd poorly explained, "O-Oh, um… she's called Blaze because she can control fire."

"Yes well, such a name would be bizarre otherwise," The reptilian detective quickly concurred.

"Whenever she cried or got angry her flames would slip free, so naturally the other kids would pick on her as a game; trying to be the first to force them out. So I started getting in their way, fighting back wherever she wouldn't and scaring them off. With my power, I could help quell her flames. I'd sit with her whenever they overtook her," Silver told him, glum memories of a young kitten being harassed playing in his mind, "I'd wrap myself in cyan light and hug her, tell her it'd all be fine and stuff; try to play games with her. It took a while but, eventually, she got used to me hanging around and then, even later, started coming to me," For a moment the hedgehog's gloom faded, there was a warmth in his chest, "I can't remember all the details of course but, I guess we were best friends, we walked to school together and I'd refuse to be partnered with anyone else for group projects."

Some sadness returned as he concluded, "Her family moved town to get her into a better high school. That was ten years ago, we were twelve, I remember being so sad but I was just a kid so I bounced back. I guess she just slipped my mind eventually."

"It's bizarre to forget someone so close to you, although I suppose ten years is a lot of time," Espio thought aloud, "So, you met again and things went well?"

"Better than well, it was great. It was a little awkward at first, we struggled to make sure we both had the right person, but as soon as we were certain I couldn't help hugging her," Silver admitted, "We spent so long talking I almost got fired. It started with just how we were doing, talking about our jobs and families, but soon we were laughing about old times and telling stories and… well… I invited her around. Just to catch up and maybe have something to eat afterwards, I-I thought it'd be nice to not eat dinner alone, seeing as you work the late hours, but, in hindsight, it seems like I accidentally asked her on a date?"

Those last six words were accompanied by a voice crack, the likes of which Silver hadn't heard from himself since puberty, "I only realised when I woke up this morning, I immediately started tidying, using my power to clean up as much as I could, before rushing out to buy fish so I can cook a decent meal. The plants slipped my mind until the last minute, I let myself get distracted trying to make everything else perfect for this kind of... sort of… date."

There was a brief pause, the patient chameleon likely carefully selecting his next words, "I don't think it sounds like a date at all, simply two long lost companions reuniting. There's nothing inherently romantic about that…" Truth be told, Silver didn't think Espio the best of informants when it came to romance. His boss Vector? Great, that crocodile watched romantic movies all the time and would wax poetic about his dates with a widowed rabbit he was so very clearly in love with, but the dark lizard always rolled his eyes at the green's antics.

"Th-That's what I thought at the time too! But looking back I think she was blushing when she said yes and it would explain why my boss was so mad at me and…" He managed to stop himself pulling at his fur, eyes shut tight. Seriousness flowed through him, "Regardless of what tonight is, I want to do it right and that means fixing this mess. I told her I've started selling plants on the side, she'll want to see them and it's not like I can hide all these."

Silver gestured to his sizable collection of purple plants, around ten fully grown flowers and bushes with a further thirty sprouts collected over five trays (their names on small signposts staked into the soil). He was down to the last five, outside the aforementioned pair was a small pot filled with lavender, a tall taiga clematis and his favourite yet, equally, the most embarrassing of his plants. Written on its pot in dark purple paint was the name 'Blaze,' yes, without realising he'd named a plant directly after her. Unlike than a cat, this Blaze the plant was a collection of purple calla lilies; their leaves like ripples and their petals large pitchers. Nestled in the centre of its purple petals was the plant's stigma, the site where the pollen was held, coloured a dark red… not unlike the jewel on the cat Blaze's forehead.

Catching himself slacking, staring at the latter plant, he quickly returned his attention to the matter at hand. Wolf's bane or foxglove, which one was Melisa? He couldn't exactly rename them once she'd seen them. If he did and she noticed that'd be impossible to explain; then she might put two and two together about the poorly named plant that looked quite like her. Silver's hands returned to his quills, he unleashed a groan.

"I still can't pick, what do you think Espio?" He glanced back to the chameleon, only to find him deep in thought.

"I don't think I'd name either of them Melisa…" The reptile crouched down, getting closer to eye level with the plants, before deadpanning, "Why don't you name the foxglove Foxy and the wolf's bane Wolfe."

Silver blinked, contemplating those names for less than a moment, "They're good Espio but they're not the most creative names, right? What's the point in naming them at all if I just name them after the type of plant they are?"

"There is no point in naming them to begin with, they're plants." He curtly responded, quickly returning to his feet in an effort to move away. "I need to get to work, you can take my advice or leave it."

He wasn't wrong, but Silver had neither the time nor the pots to undo the naming of his entire garden. The hedgehog named them because, well, he felt it was rude not to; they deserved names just as pets would. It made watering them more interesting, gave them more of a personality. If only the purple plants were unnamed her suspicion would surely be roused.

Before the detective could leave, Silver unleashed one final plea; "Please Espio, I-

The chameleon vanished before his eyes, flickering out to blend in with his environment. A voice sounded somewhere in front of him, "If you're so worried, just name them the first thing that comes to mind."

"She'll see through that, I'm sure of it; if she's anything like I remember she'll know that I'm lying. It needs to be genuine, even then it might not work!" There was no response, Silver got to his feet, "Come on, I swear we can knock this out in just-

His words were interrupted by the sound of pots breaking, followed by a thud; a purple chameleon manifested on the ground. Espio didn't often use his invisibility but on the rare occasions he did; he often focused too much on staying invisible and assuming his surroundings wouldn't impact him because they couldn't see him. Thus, he'd stumbled over the pots Silver had set aside; both the ones with fire-based names written on them and his remaining unmarked pots.

For a moment he just lay there, clearly unsure what had happened, before a look of embarrassment and regret crept over his face, "I'm sorry Silver, I'll pay you back for them."

"Don't worry about it, most of them were unusable anyway," With a wave of Silver's hand, Espio was brought back to his feet; the clutter surrounding him bundled into a psychic orb, "I'll mix the chips in with the soil, it's good for drainage."

"If you're sure," The chameleon cringed, dusting himself off. He threw another glance to the plants before heaving a sigh, "I suppose, if I had to pick, the smaller one looks more like a Melisa; the Wolf's Bane, I think it is?"

Silver gave the plants another glance, juggling the two in his head, "I think you're right, thank you Espio."

"Best of luck with your not-date," Did he have to call it that? "Do try not to hurt yourself."

"I'll do my best," Silver conceded, feeling a heat on his cheeks, "Tell Vector I said hi."

Retaining his visibility, the chameleon turned and made his way back around the front of the house; leaving Silver with a mess to clear and three more decisions to make. He made his way around the back, bringing the terracotta chunks with him. Setting them in a tray within the greenhouse, he went to collect some replacement pots. It was easy enough to find replacement pots for four of the plants (the lavender and wolf's bane only needing small pots while the foxglove and taiga clematis required medium ones) but, search as he might, he couldn't find a pot large enough for Blaze. Searching ate up time, as if his talk with Espio hadn't already, so when he next checked his phone there were only twenty minutes till her arrival.

That collection of lilies was the largest of his plants, could he hide it even if he wanted to? His hands met with his quills as he thought for a moment; a closet maybe but that would surely make a mess. The only place he could really think was the roof, and even then he wasn't certain it'd balance correctly. Unwilling to waste any more time however, he quickly returned to the side of the house; setting the pots down before sitting himself.

Psychokinesis was great for gardening; it meant he rarely had to dirty his hands. With the flick of his wrist, Silver removed the wolf's bane from its pot (soil and all) and replanted it; paintbrush dipping in deep purple paint before writing out the name 'Melisa.' Hovering it aside he moved onto the foxglove, he'd been so focused on selecting the prior he hadn't thought of any more names. Tugging his chest fur, he eventually came to a conclusion; Mable, that name seemed to fit. Due to its height, the foxglove required a more delicate replanting but even this was well within his abilities. The lavender was dubbed Lola and, after some debate, he settled on Minnie for the taiga clematis. That left the big one, the one he didn't even have a pot for; Blaze.

It was only now, staring at her name on the pot, he noticed a difference in how he'd written it. His writing had never been neat, looking at the likes of 'Ember' and 'Flambe' they were written in block capitals, but Blaze was written in an undeniably stylised way. It was written in cursive, he hardly remembered writing her name; let alone like this! Embarrassment swelled again, his hand reached for his chest fur only for his shirt to get in the way. Debating what else to do, Silver picked up the empty pots and put them with the others in the greenhouse; stacking them so as to obscure their names. After dealing with this Blaze it'd be simple, the salmon he'd bought wouldn't take twenty minutes to prepare. Besides, he wasn't sure if they were going to eat first or just talk or-

Just before he could round his way back around the side of the house, the hedgehog heard a voice call out to him. "Silver, are you home?"

He froze, she'd arrived early; only around ten minutes early but early none the less! Silver quickly rounded the corner, hoping to quickly hide the plant, only to come face to face with her; "B-Blaze, hi!" His stutter was quickly swallowed, "I'm glad you found your way."

The two Blazes were no more than two metres apart, she was stood right next to Melisa. He had no idea how long she'd been here, she could have just rounded the corner searching for him or been there the whole time; waiting for him to return. Had she seen the names? Was there any chance she hadn't seen her name?

Silver was so lost in his thoughts that her words caused him to flinch, "I hope I'm not too early? I was certain your house was further away but it seems we're practically neighbours."

"No, you're right on time. I was just doing some work," He quickly replied.

Finally taking her in, he couldn't help feeling dramatically underdressed. While he was still in his gardening garb, some old jeans and an ancient t-shirt, she had dressed as though this was a date. The feline was wearing a purple sundress and high cut jacket, the former having an almost speckled pattern. Her hair was down, both as a child and adult Silver had never seen that; even when she slept it was hoisted up in some sort of ponytail. It'd been curled towards its ends, her hair's purple tips reaching no further than her shoulders.

"My housemate insisted I dress for the occasion. Go all out, is how I believe she worded it? I managed to talk her down from that but this still feels like a bit much," Blaze hastily explained, "Her name's Amy and she is far more… romantically inclined than I am. Once I'd explained the situation she wouldn't stop talking about how romantic it all was, she insisted that this was a date."

"W-Well, you look great," Those words had just tumbled from his lips rather quickly, he heard his voice squeak and cringed internally, he was close to pulling his quills out. Embarrassment was flaring beyond his control, he tried to change the subject; "I-I don't blame her, I only realised how I worded the offer this morning, I panicked quite a bit myself. I might've gone a little overboard, I wanted everything to look neat so I started replanting."

"I couldn't help noticing the pots," For a moment his blood ran cold, panic almost fully set in. 'Blaze' was the furthest away of all his plants but, equally, it was the biggest, "Do you name all of your plants?"

"Oh, y-yeah." Silver's mind was outpacing his body. Worry catalysed thought he was certain she'd noticed, "I just think it gives them a little more personality? I know it's silly but…"

He didn't have the strength to explain but, fortunately, she didn't force him to; "That's… rather cute, I'd never considered doing that."

Well, if he wasn't blushing before he surely was now. He'd done this to himself though; he couldn't blame her, "Th-Thank you, I don't get to show them off very often."

It was only now, having almost recovered from the surprise, Silver noticed the feline was keeping one hand behind her back. But, before he could question it, she asked a much harder hitting queery; "Do you name them all after people?"

The world seemed to freeze yet speed up all at once, panic set in. Without a moment of hesitation, he reached down and swiped up the plant; presenting it to her, "I just… I," His head lowered, "I don't really know how to explain this."

The brief silence between them felt like an era to Silver.

"Is it named after me because it's for me?" With that simple question, she stole the burden off his shoulders. To be honest, he wasn't certain he could keep a plant that not only bore a striking likeness to his once best friend but also bore her name.

Unfortunately, before he could come to that conclusion, a stupid response escaped his lips, "I-I guess?" Swallowing his stutter again, Silver managed to speak properly, "Seeing as it's a gift I figured I should just write your name on it. N-Now that I look at it though, there is more than a little resemblance."

He'd never been a good liar, not that it mattered whether she remembered that; his heart was on his sleeve at almost all times. The hedgehog was practically shaking, arms outstretched and holding the pot and hoping his explanation would suffice.

After what felt like an aeon, she responded; "Well, I've got something for you too," The hedgehog managed to open his eyes and peer through the plant between them; she'd pulled out a small, purple, paper bag, "I… I know they're not perfectly made, but I hope you'll enjoy them."

They fumbled for a moment, struggling to exchange gifts simultaneously, fingers briefly brushing and thus further heightening embarrassment. Despite its size, the bag was rather heavy; its top sealed shut to prevent him from seeing whatever was inside.

"Can I…?" He gestured to open the bag.

She gently nodded, though Silver couldn't help noticing her eyes were fixed on the plant rather than him. Peeling off the tape, the scent of smoke immediately met the hedgehog's nostrils; the likes of which would cause others to recoil in tears. For Silver, however, that smell triggered a burst of nostalgia. As he recalled, it wasn't that Blaze liked cooking so much as what it symbolised. Cooking was a way to use her flames peacefully, a way to create something good with fire. Not long into their friendship, she'd taken up baking, insisting that no one helped her in the endeavour because she could handle it all by herself.

"As you can see, I've not improved much," She admitted, clearly embarrassed by her efforts, "No one else would dare try them, let alone request them, so I didn't have much reason to improve."

They looked closer to flat, black, rocks than the cookies they were surely meant to be; in an attempt to rectify this she'd thoroughly iced their tops, there was a layer of white and (atop that) the shape of his symbol crudely replicated. He picked one out, the charcoal smell was even stronger at close proximity but the hedgehog didn't hesitate. He took a hearty bite and, immediately, heard a sound like rocks grating on metal followed by an ear-splitting crunch. The icing was nice, even if its only real flavour was that of sugar, but the biscuit tasted as it sounded; just as he imagined a lump of coal would. As he swallowed it didn't get any better, the aftertaste was mildly acidic, but he managed to get it all down.

A grin reached the corners of his mouth, not forced so much as the result of bashfulness. "They taste even better I remember, th-thank you, Blaze."

"You're still so naïve." She'd gone from not meeting his eyes to, very obviously, staring into the plant's soil. "You've… got some in your teeth."

Unable to check, he tried his best to remove whatever blackness or crumbs lingered with his tongue, but just as her gaze fully left him; Silver couldn't help looking away. His hand found its way to his quills, it was like when they'd first reunited at the café; awkward and embarrassing. It'd all been so simple when they were kids, he'd stroll up and hug her or call out her name with reckless abandon; begging her to play with him. She'd grown up just as he had; it was plain to see. Without adulthood he wouldn't have been working in that café, she wouldn't have got that house share.

"Oh, uhm, the flowers are calla lilies. They're quite easy to keep; as long as their soil isn't too dry and they get enough sunlight they should be fine. If their soil is nutritious they shouldn't need food either, so if you ever need them repotted you can just drop by and I'll give you some," He quickly caught himself, "Th-That is if you want to come by again after however today ends up going?"

"I'm sure I will Silver," Her next words refroze his blood, almost sending him reeling, "It'll take more than a lily named after me to scare me away."

"Wh-What I…" Their eyes finally realigned, albeit obscured by the lilies. Silver knew she'd be able to read him, he was still an awful liar, "I swear I didn't remember you when I did, it just kind of… fit, you know? I guess I saw the colours and, on some subconscious level, they just reminded me of you?" He briefly bit his tongue, eyes shutting tight,"I'm sorry, that's pretty weird, isn't it?"

"It is," She agreed, her tone was just as blunt as he remembered, "But, I can see the resemblance and, to be honest, I've done… similar things."

"O-Oh?" The sweat on his brow was growing thicker with every passing moment; it'd wasn't like this in the café! It'd been so easy! His own mind was his greatest enemy; reminding him this was (kind of) a date.

"Well, safe to say I'm glad we're meeting at your house rather than mine. Amy and I had it repainted before we moved in and my colour selection included rather more cyan than I first thought. That and, well, my family's pet chao is …" Her seriousness was holding, despite the reddening of her ears, "Well, not only is it named after you but the two of you rather share a likeness."

The feline fumbled a little, setting down the lily before drawing out her phone. She showed him her lock-screen, featuring a picture of the aforementioned chao. The resemblance was undeniable. Not only was the little creature a grey-white colouration but his head was topped with five spikes that matched Silver's own quills. Its eyes were his same shade of yellow and its wings were not dissimilar to the spines on the back of his head. As if this wasn't embarrassing enough, the blob that usually topped a chao's head had warped into a heart. That state was brought on by a nearby chao-fruit but it was present none the less.

"H-He's… um…" On one hand, Silver was relieved; her doing this meant his naming of plants wasn't as strange. On the other, coming face to face with an adorable doppelganger was rather surprising. He didn't know whether calling it cute was narcissistic but he knew he had to say something, "I can certainly see some resemblance."

Again, awkwardness lingered in the air. He couldn't imagine any other pair had experienced this bizarre phenomenon. For one of them to have accidentally taken inspiration from the other was weird, for both of them to have done it seemed downright impossible.

This time, she was the one to break the quiet, "I-I only got him two years ago. He was a gift for moving out and, with time, he just kind of matured to look like…" She quickly shut her phone away, "Regardless, yes, don't worry about the plant. I'm in a similar situation."

"Well, you can have the lily anyway. Now that we've reunited I guess we won't have to make these accidental replacements?" He quickly realised how poorly he'd worded that, almost tripping over himself; "N-Not that I want your Silver in exchange! O-Or for you to get rid of him! I-I just mean, I-I've decided I do want you to have this Blaze. Because I just feel like it'd be weird a-and now that you're here and I'm here we-

Her laughter halted his stuttering, that sound brought back so many memories. She'd never been quick to laughter, even as a child. He tried so many silly things to make her crack a smile but, more often than not, it was mistakes like that which tugged them free. That wonderful sound she'd always tried to hide, punctuated by snort-like purring she'd so often insisted she hated. He'd always loved it, hearing it again was like music to his ears. It felt like he was melting slightly, his body relaxed but he felt more heat rush to his face and ears.

Suppressing her laughter, turning away and balling her fist in front of her mouth, Blaze managed a few words, "Don't worry, I understand. This is all a little strange."

"Y-Yeah, it is," He said still struggling for words, thoroughly captivated, "Maybe we should just pick things up where we left off?"

The last of her chuckles smothered, she responded clearly; "We were ten Silver, I'm not sure how possible that is." Her stern tone lingered in laughter's wake but, even a decade later, Silver could identify her subtle excitement. "But, I agree with your sentiment. Let's just be ourselves and see where that takes us, we've got a lot of catching up to do and," She was still smiling through her blush, "Even if we didn't notice, I think it's clear we missed each other."

Blaze the plant was left outside while their cat counterpart followed the hedgehog into the house, undoubtedly unsure but excited to see where their rekindled relationship would lead.


	29. Aftermath

It happened in an instant, faster than the blink of an eye. They'd been sparring in a parking lot, a part of crisis city they'd managed to keep clear. Blaze was throwing punches and kicks to block the rubble bombardment Silver sent her way. Nothing new. There'd been an opening, she'd burst through a crate he'd thrown and caught him scanning for more debris. She'd capitalised on that moment and rushed him, igniting lest he tried to bind her in a psychic aura. It was a simple attack; a straight blow to the jaw, the kind of thing he'd take and shrug off before fighting back. That was, as long as his aura was defending him.

As long as he kept his focus, so long as he braced for impact, everything would be fine. She'd knock him to the ground, call him naïve, and he'd pop right back up. Same as ever.

She couldn't have known he'd overexerted. His powers were close to spent and thus, his guard failed to hold. Her fist struck his cheek directly, knuckles impacting just beneath his eye. Then came fire, following her fist a lick of flame caught the right side of his face and set both fur and flesh alight. Silver wasn't sure when she realised what had happened, but he heard her scream before he met the ground. He cried out, initially out of shock but soon agony overruled his senses. Flailing and rolling he cried out, his body acted without his input in an attempt to escape the spreading pain.

A knee met with his chest, pinning him his body in place, before a pair of palms grasped both sides of his head; further restricting him. He struggled against that contact, he couldn't help but writhe, but in an instant, most of the pain was swept away. Though his skin still throbbed, what had burned was still burned, the heat had left his face; the fire was gone.

Teeth still grit, he managed to pry open his eyes. As he opened both he found the world blurred but with only the left things were clear, the pain sapped from his cheek and gouged at his heart. In his moment of hurt so much hadn't registered, both that she had been the one to pin him and (far more importantly) what burning him would do to her. Tears ran down the feline's cheeks, her hands left his face only to clamp over her mouth. Her movement caused him to wince but his wince tore a sob from her chest. Silver couldn't hide his pain, no matter how he tensed or tried.

He could feel her panic, muffled by her hands and cries Silver heard two words repeated endlessly; "I'm sorry."

Silver tried to reach up, attempting to take one of her hands in his own, but she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. He dragged himself to sit up, the brush of the air stinging his face, and found himself eye to eye with her. He watched as her tears started to transmute, watery lines through her fur suddenly ignited. She realised this less than a second after he did, stumbling to her feet and cowering even further from him. Her eyes left his, following her hands as they tore from her face. Tearstains burned on the back of her hands. Blaze beat the back of her palm with her open left but the flame split and spread faster, she slapped that palm against her thigh and her leg caught alight. Her tears engulfed her face, try as he might to stare he lost sight of her eyes.

"B-Blaze!" His voice came out as a squeak, talking stretched his newly scorched skin.

She'd heard him, but that meant she'd surely heard the pain in his voice. Blaze took another stumbling step, the fire stretched to consume her shoulders. He couldn't hear her apologising anymore, not over the roar of the fire.

His hand came up to hold his wound but he flinched at the contact; "I-It's okay Blaze, I-

Before he could finish she'd exploded, the flames had fully engulfed her and were now continuing their expansion. Embers were taking flight and he could smell the tarmac beneath her turning to bubbling back sludge. Blaze staggered back lest the flames crept toward him, but couldn't see where she was going. The ground beneath her had turned to tar; she couldn't have managed more than a step before falling to the ground. The tarmac was dipping beneath her; she struggled in the depths of an ever-deepening crater.

Blaze was crying, even if he couldn't hear it over the crackle of flame; Silver knew she was crying. Her powers were so closely tied to her emotions, when she was overwhelmed like this control over them was fully stolen from her. What would normally have helped to defend her now imprisoned both her body and mind. The crackling of flames deafened her just as the light blinded her; Blaze was cut off from the rest of the world, no one could reach her. No one but him.

His fist balled against the ground as he tried to push himself upright, his legs struggling to obey him. Finally managing to stand, arms spread as he fought for balance, Silver's eyes locked on the burning spire before him. Her jail was like a candle; the flame was wide near the base but tapered off as it reached for the sky. Despite the fire's size, he'd usually manage to snuff it in a second. In his current state, however, he knew it would take a lot more than that. Digging in his heels he managed to secure his stance before reaching across his body and focusing.

Energy started to gather in his right palm, he felt his head screech and spin as what remained of his power was pulled to a single point; constantly threatening to throw off his balance. The cyan-green light in his palm seemed so small in comparison to her red-orange prison. Grinding his teeth till they threatened to shatter, he closed his eye and curled his toes as he tried to give it all he had left. If he failed Blaze would be stuck here, if he failed it could be hours before she was free and he'd still be in no state to help her. When the flames finally cleared she'd be crushed, unable to cry or move; drained of power and drained emotionally. He'd seen it before, it'd happened often when they were kids. Someone would pick on her for her powers, unsure what to do she'd just break down; crumple into a mess of fire and emerge devoid of emotion. The day he learned to quell her flames and reach her was one of the best days of his life, he'd finally found a way to help his friend.

The breaking point hit, Silver felt his body sway as his mental grip threaten to slip. Before it could he took a single step forward, throwing that hand across his body a wave of psychic energy was sent from his body. He felt the blast push back against him as it escaped, his boots dragged as he struggled to hold his ground, but the rebound left almost as quickly as it had arrived. Even with his eyes closed, he knew he'd had some effect, the scent of smoke vanished in an instant; he'd at least pushed a portion of the fire away.

Silver heaved his left eye open but it didn't much matter which he used now; the world was blurred and spinning all the same. Despite the world's misshapen state, he could tell the fire was diminished, if not fully dispelled, and a Blaze shaped purple blur was sat a few steps in front of him. She was strong, but he really hoped that last blast hadn't hurt her. His breaths were shallow and his ears rang but he was still standing. He knew what he had to do; the same he always had. Get over there and hold her close, tell her it was over now; tell her it was fine. Legs failing, he started to stumble toward her, with every step closer she grew just a little more visible.

The firelight was nowhere to be seen, not a single ember remained. He'd blown away her burning tears; he'd blown away it all. She was on her knees, the ground beneath her still a crater of ooze struggling to solidify. Try as he might though, he couldn't focus enough to read her expression. Overusing his powers had numbed his body; the pain on his face had faded enough to speak even if his words were undoubtedly slurred by exhaustion.

"I-It's okay," He couldn't tell if he was whispering or screaming, as his arm dropped Silver's entire frame threatened to fall with it. Blurry as she was, he saw wet tears running down her cheeks. He could see her eyes, she was still so hurt and confused, "I'm okay, p-please don't…"

As if the draining of his power wasn't enough, dulling all of his senses, Silver's good eye had filled with tears. The feline hadn't often burned him, and certainly never this badly, but he knew how awful she must have felt; "It's not… y-your fault, B-Blaze y-you-

He felt himself stumble, the world lurched wildly and the ground scarcely clung to his feet. With the last of his energy he managed to wobble one step toward her; undoubtedly almost knocking her over as he fell chest to chest with her. Before darkness could claim him, he was thankful for what he felt. Her hands found his back and her head found his shoulder.

* * *

When Silver awoke he wasn't in the car park anymore. Dazed, the first thing he noticed was a weight on his lap and a soft touch against his aching face. The second thing he noticed was where he was. Though the world was still a little blurry, he recognised the charred ceiling above him and the torn fabric of the couch he sat upon. He was at home, sitting in the library that they had transformed into their stronghold. The third thing he noticed was Blaze; positioned directly in front of him. For a moment he thought the scent of smoke was clinging to her but he soon realised the smell's origin was his own burnt fur.

"H-Hey," he managed to mumble, forgetting the state of his skin and immediately wincing.

"Sit still, I'm not done with you yet," Blaze sharply replied.

She hadn't returned his greeting, clearly too focused on her task. He struggled to blink the sleep from his eyes; almost panicking as he found the right unusable before realising that was her doing.

It was only now he noticed their position; she wasn't quite sitting in his lap so much as she was hovering above it. Her calves were on the outer edges of his thighs, she'd effectively pinned him in place as she worked to bandage his face. Now fully understanding his surroundings and, more importantly, where she was, Silver managed to relax. Leaning back against the couch, whatever remained of his back quills hooking against the top cushion, he couldn't help but focus on her.

He could only see the lower left side of her body, his vision cut off before her shoulder. From this position he couldn't glean much about how she was doing, but one sign left him crestfallen. Her tail was drooping. Usually, Blaze's tail hung low but its end would point up and toward the sky. Currently, it was all tending downward and threatening to drag along the ground. His heart wouldn't let him stare at it, not for long at least.

It seemed as though she'd almost finished bandaging him, every so often he'd sight a needle and thread; likely being used to firmly secure his bindings. He bit back a gasp as she tugged to tighten an area but his toes and fingers curled reflexively.

He felt her hands quickly lead him; loose wrappings flopped against his collar, "Sorry."

Clearly, he hadn't hidden his pain well enough, another failure on his part, "N-No, it's fine, keep going."

Her hands slowly returned to him, her tail had shot straight with surprise only to flop down again. Wincing was just another of his many mistakes today. He was meant to be stronger than this. She told him it was wrong to beat himself up but in a moment like this, with her feeling like this, he couldn't help it. He hadn't noticed he was powerless until it was too late, until her fist was mere inches from his face; momentum already driving her toward the inevitable.

Upset as he was at his own failure, he was worried about his final action. He'd set the psychic wave to dispel flames but had no idea if it had done more.

Unable to hold back, words surely muffled by bandages, he asked; "Did I hurt you?"

"Wh-What?" She stuttered.

Trying to talk out of the far side of his mouth, Silver elaborated; "Did the blast hurt you, I-I wasn't sure how stable it was…"

"O-Oh, no. It didn't," She mumbled, "You pushed the flames away and left me unharmed, thank you for freeing me."

Silver heard the pain in her voice. He'd been unconscious when he should have been there for her. The way they were sat, it wasn't so that she could bandage him properly. It was so Blaze could hide from him. She could tend them from in front of him just as easily as above, but that would let him see her face. If his attempt to free her hadn't hurt her then she had to be hiding something else. Her expression, he could already imagine it. Blaze was good at maintaining a cold demeanour but only because she knew how and what to hide. She wouldn't face him, she'd hardly even speak unless he acted first.

Drawing on all of his nerve, he managed to ask; "Blaze, can we talk?"

"We probably should…" The hesitation in her voice was clear, her movements hitched.

She hadn't moved, he tensed; "C-Can I see you?"

Blaze seemed to debate for a moment but, finally, the bandages dropped, "…Okay."

Slowly, the purple cat lowered herself; sitting on his knees as her head shifted into view. The feline's ears were still crumpled, a sight he understood too well, and try as she might to look stern; her amber eyes ruined any semblance of a façade. It was clear she'd been crying again, regular tears rather than burning ones. Her eyelids were red and her muzzle soaked; she was too scared to dry herself with flames.

"Blaze…" The sight stung him, this was his fault, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to apologise for, I'm the one who's sorry," She asserted, with every word her pain was made clearer, "This hasn't happened for years, I got too comfortable in the hope that I'd never burn you again," Blaze's gaze was locked on his bandages rather than his face, "That was foolish. It isn't as though you're immune to my flames, simply better equipped to handle them."

She wasn't wrong; it had been years since they'd last been in this position. Whenever a monster burned one of them the other could easily treat it, they'd learned to bandage and make ointment, but this was very different. Sure, they'd panic when the other took a hit, but there was never this weight in their stomachs; born of the knowledge they'd hurt each other.

Ignoring the pain, as best as he could, Silver managed to respond; "That's not a bad thing though, you should be comfortable with your flames."

"I got too comfortable and I hurt you," She rebutted, ears folding further forward, "How I felt up until today doesn't matter half as much as the mark on your face. I thought I was better than this, I thought I knew when to hold back. I was wrong."

"But you didn't hurt me, I made a mistake and got myself hurt," He tried to explain, fighting through his injury, "If I had noticed my power was drained I would have said and you wouldn't have hit me, none of this would have happened. It's my fault, not yours."

"Silver, half your face is burnt; I almost took out your eye. It's not a matter of whether you are your hurt, you absolutely are," She pushed, "It's not your fault. I threw the punch, it's my responsibility."

"That'll heal and I'll be okay, I'm okay now even, but I made a mistake and now you're beating yourself up about it. I don't want you to do that," He insisted, "It's my failure that hurt you. It is my fault you were trapped and it's my fault you feel like this."

A snarl slipped her throat, "It's not your fault, it's mine! I should have paid more attention, I should have seen that you were weakened, but instead, I rushed in. It's not your fault, I got…" Blaze caught herself before she could yell. He watched as her eyes shut tight, pausing for a moment, before she heaved a sigh, "I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to scare you away. I know that's stupid, I know you'd never leave, but whenever I hurt you like this I think of running away before you find the sense to leave me."

"Blaze," He reached up to hold her, fingers hitched on her shoulders, "I'm not going to leave your side, no matter what. If you ran I would follow. When bullies came I defended you, didn't I? Whenever your flames go wild I help you, don't I?"

"I know that, but I get so scared after those moments. Knowing I've hurt you cuts me to my core; it sickens in a way no disease can," She admitted, "I want to stay by your side, but it hurts to see what I've done to you. Even if you won't accept that it's my fault, seeing you like this hurts me. It doesn't matter if it's my fire or Iblis', it hurts me."

"It hurts you to see what you've…" He repeated, the reality their situation drifting to the front of his mind, "In that case, I'm not okay."

She blinked, head tilting. Her dower expression was quickly replaced by one of confusion; it was a small step in the right direction.

He quickly elaborated, "I'm only okay as long as you're okay, that's the way I've always felt," Silver nodded, fully serious, "These burns don't hurt me, but the fact that they hurt you does hurt me; just as the fact they scare you scares me. I'll have to heal quickly so we can both stop hurting, the only pain I feel is the pain of knowing you're hurt."

For a moment all was silent, Blaze seemed to be struggling to process all that. Just as he was about to elaborate further, a forefinger poked against his bandages. Silver couldn't help flinching, "The burns don't hurt huh? Is that right?" A sigh slipped free from her lips, he swore her expression softened into a smile, but just as quickly her brows reknit. She didn't look upset like she had before, but she didn't quite look happy; "You're so naïve."

"Alright, then they don't hurt that much," He said, squeezing her shoulders in an attempt to emphasise his point, "And they don't hurt at all, compared to seeing you hurt. I feel the same way you do, whenever you hurt; I hurt. I don't want you to struggle like this, just like you don't want to burn me. I want you to be happy but I don't want you to hide it when you feel otherwise, I want to help you. You're my partner, there's no one I care more about! Without you here, I don't know what I'd do."

His touch didn't have the anticipated effect though. Rather, instead of listening more intently, her eyes were cast away from his and he felt her awkwardly shuffle. A strange redness had crept onto her face, again she uttered that common phrase; "You're so naïve. The pain has made you delusional, you're rambling."

Seeing his initial attempt to emphasise hadn't worked, Silver leant in close to her; "Maybe, but it's true! I want to be there for you no matter what, if you're hurting then I'm hurting. I don't care what state I'm in, that's what matters to me."

"That's even more naïve," Blaze looked to him for a moment before that strange colouration spread further, tracing up to her ears. She glanced away again, pausing for a moment before continuing, "But, regardless of how naïve it is, you're right. The feeling is mutual."

Before he could process that her hand pressed on his chest fur, pushing him back against the couch and more thoroughly beneath her. His arms were made to release her as Blaze shifted beyond his vision again, leaving him with the sight of her tail thrashing just beyond her legs.

"It was an accident during a spar, I should have been faster to notice your weakness just as you should have better understood your limit. It's something we can learn from," Blaze talking in a faster, more serious, tone than before; almost lecturing herself and him simultaneously, "This shouldn't happen again, but it probably will. Our powers aren't toys, we need to strengthen them but also be mindful of them; my pyrokinesis especially. It's much harder for you to accidentally harm me."

"That's true," He admitted, "But it's also easier for me to defend against your attacks."

Silver felt the bandages stretch further but by now he'd grown used to the feeling. Blaze continued to speak, "Seeing as you're as insistent that this is your fault as I am this is mine, I think it would be best that we both train to rectify this issue. That way we can fully recover from this, both physically and mentally," She paused her wrapping, "Silver… your words have helped me but I'm afraid I still…"

He managed to smile, "You need more time, I know. I'll be here to help you, no matter what it takes and no matter how long you need; whether it's till I heal or beyond. Your powers are good, there's no part of you that isn't."

Blaze quickly returned to her work, "My flames aren't inherently good or bad, it's entirely dependant on how they're used and how well I can control them," As if her tail wasn't enough, he could hear that she'd perked up. Though she was talking seriously and quickly he could hear the smile carried on her voice, "It is only through training that I will manage to harness them for good, only allow them to harm those who would harm others. I'm sure with time and your help I will manage but I fear it's still well beyond my reach," A small sigh slipped her throat, her cadence returned to normal, "Regardless, we won't be training for a little while I think; at least, you certainly won't. I can't have you getting any more injured; if the worst happens and we're forced to flee, you need to be able to defend yourself. You're lucky the damage is only skin deep, I was terrified I'd broken your jaw with how you were mumbling."

As she concluded the binding briefly slowed, he felt her body shift.

"…Thank you," Those words were spoken a lot closer to his ear.

"For what?" He blindly asked.

"Just, thank you. There's no reason," She continued to perplex him.

Silver felt something touch the top of his head, just beyond the patchwork of his bandages. It wasn't the touch of her hand, he was certain of that much, but he had no idea what it could be. What little he could see was the edge of her purple jacket, Blaze was still close but he couldn't help noticing she'd leant down. Was it her forehead touching him? Her chin? As quickly as he noticed her strange shift, she shuffled back to her prior position. A few moments, and some more fiddling, later she'd lowered herself back down to sit on his knees. The frown had fully vanished from her face but she wasn't quite smiling. She wore her more typical, serious, face.

Beyond her expression though, he noticed the red hue had returned to cheeks face and a bizarre heat was emanating from her, "That should be your bandages done. We'll have to change them tomorrow, before midday…"

He noticed she'd trailed off, "Are you sure you're alright, Blaze?"

"Stop asking me that," The feline demanded, her attention snapping back to him, "We've been over this, we were both at fault."

"It being both our faults doesn't mean you're alright, if anything it means I should be asking," He reached toward her, trying to touch her forehead, "I'm only asking because you feel really hot and your face keeps getting redder… are you sick? Are you still upset?"

As he tried to take her temperature, elegant as ever, Blaze reached forward and caught his hand in hers. Her fingers met with his knuckles, preventing him from pushing past her grip, "I'm fine, you're the one who's injured. Sit there and let me treat you."

"We treat each other, we're partners, let me take your temperature!" Shouting hurt, but he wanted to make his point clear. The more she refused the redder she seemed to grow, "You're said you're done treating me, it's my turn to look after you."

"I said your bandages were done, I didn't say I'd finished treating you," She insisted, "I've still got to cook dinner, you need to eat to keep your strength up and heal properly. What's more I'll have to prepare clean bedclothes, if that burn gets infected I don't know what I'll do."

"We can do that later though, I'm not hungry and I'm not going to bed," He squeezed her hand in an attempt to make his commitment clear, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! I was only upset that I'd hurt you, that was the only thing wrong with me," She really did look flustered, he couldn't understand it, "Your push didn't hurt me, nor did any of your attacks during our spar. You've already helped me!"

"Then why are you so red? What is this warmth?" He continued to pry, confused.

"It's just…" Blaze hesitated, but her quick and serious tone returned in the pause's wake, "It's just the remnants of wayward emotions, nothing more and nothing less. Don't worry yourself over them, it's not enough for me to combust."

"I don't care whether they'll set you alight, your feelings matter to me Blaze," He reinforced, again leaning forward; "We help each other, no matter how small the problem is."

"I'm telling you there's nothing wrong, it's fine! The heat has almost faded already," If anything, he thought she'd grown even warmer but Blaze cut him off before he could state such, "But… if you're really not going to believe that, and you really want to do something…" Their joined hands dropped to the couch, he felt her shift a little closer; "I suppose we can sit here for a while, until you're convinced I'm fine," Her gaze had dropped from him again. She was using a certain tone, the tone she usually reserved for calling him naïve, "I guess I'm a little tired, I've been working nonstop and I don't… want to let go of you yet."

"If you're certain that's really all you want, then okay," He conceded, "You should rest more comfortably though, right?"

Confused she started to shift from his lap, "What do you mean more comfortably? Should I get o-

Before she could even finish he'd leaned even closer, wrapping his free arm around her and pulling her into a hug. Her chin was pulled to top his left shoulder, the still fully fluffy side of his face was against hers. His chin came to top her own shoulder, thus granting him a full view of her tail. It was stiffly upright, a rare sight but a good sign. This position was much better, "Like this. You sitting in my lap for ages would have got uncomfortable, right? This is better, isn't it?"

"R-Right, y-yes," Blaze mumbled.

"Hey, you're getting even hotter. Are you really sure you're alright?"

"P-Positive…"


	30. Fiction and a First

The atmosphere following Iblis' defeat was strangely comforting to Blaze. She knew the monster would return in a few weeks and its flames still dominated the city but as she lay, sprawled across an old couch with a poetry book in hand, those facts found no quarter in her mind. Instead, she found herself whisked away by the words in front of her; thoroughly capable of indulging herself.

Well, the beast's defeat wasn't the only factor contributing to her comfort. The good health of a certain grey hedgehog, lounging atop a beanbag chair just a little out of reach, relieved her to no end. Silver the Hedgehog, her partner in combat and in life. After the battle with Iblis, they'd had more than a few injuries to tend. Both Blaze's shoulder and knee had been injured during the fight but Silver's wounds had been relatively minor. A grazed elbow where he hadn't fully deflected a hurled boulder and a small burn on the right side of his muzzle were really the only ones of note but, of course, she'd tended his wounds as thoroughly as he'd tended hers; despite his protesting over the difference in scale.

Daring to throw him a glance, Blaze was forced to suppress a giggle. He'd thoroughly sunken into his chair, legs crossed in front of him while the rest of his body arched back. His arms were stretched toward the ceiling as he slowly flicked his way through a book. She had no idea how he could find the position comfortable but, for now, she concluded there was no harm in his silliness. After all, she wasn't sat upright either.

As her eyes returned to her book a yawn managed to slip past her lips. They'd, perhaps, made themselves a little too comfortable in their new home. What'd once been a youth centre, a gathering place for teenagers and young adults, had been converted into a two-floor house. The first floor didn't see much use, the street-level was too susceptible to monster attacks, but the second floor had been thoroughly customised. Powerless computers and televisions had been thrown out, quickly being replaced with books and board games. Posters of bygone football teams had been replaced with maps of the world and star atlases, they'd constructed a bed in a snug room with no windows and brought with various additional comforts. Safe to say, she slept more easily here than she had in their prior, ramshackle, homes.

The fact she was wearing pyjamas likely contributed to her sleepy state. She'd chosen them over her usual garb for the sake of comfort, donning a mauve tank top had allowed Silver to easily tend her shoulder and her black shorts kept her injured knee free from chafing. Still, regardless of intent, the usual purpose of these softer clothes was too heavily ingrained; another yawn broke free and tears filled the corners of her eyes. Deciding she'd won enough fights today, Blaze set the book atop her chest (careful to keep her page) and allowed her eyes to close.

For a while she simply lay there, content to drift asleep, but a voice managed to rouse her, "Blaze?"

"Hmm?" She hummed, managing to half acknowledge her partner.

"How much do you know about kissing?"

Blaze's eyes shot open; she raced to sit up, almost sliding from the couch as she did so. His words had granted her a pulse-pounding second wind, her tiredness was fully transmuted to surprise, "Wh-What?!"

Silver, meanwhile, despite what he'd just asked, was still sprawled atop the beanbag; looking at his book rather than daring to face her, "I was just wondering how much you know about kissing because… I don't really get it?"

"Where did you even learn that word?" That was stupid to ask; of course Silver knew what kissing was. He'd surely read about it at some point, "W-Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, it just came up in this book I'm reading?" Silver replied, "I've known about kissing for a while but this story makes it seem a whole lot more important…?"

He finally shifted to sit upright, his quills briefly cascading into his face before being pushed back by a wave of psychic energy. As Blaze caught sight of the book in his hands she felt her blush grow brighter still; all of a sudden she was on her feet, fists clenched as she struggled to keep herself from snatching it. There was no mistaking the book's title, it stood out so clearly against the book's otherwise featureless navy cover. Emblazoned on the front, written in a cursive font, were the words, 'The Cure for a Petrified Heart.' It was a romance novel aimed at teenage girls. A romance novel a certain, fire manipulating, purple, teenaged feline had read several times.

"Where did you find that?! Th-That's a…" She didn't dare finish her sentence, the words 'Romance Novel' weighed much too heavily on her tongue. "You don't read… those. You read history books and books about nature, n-not young adult fiction about "

Blaze knew she was being more than a little hypocritical; after all, she'd only recently started reading romance novels herself. Her first had been The Cure for a Petrified Heart, the very book he now held. She'd mistaken the tome for a poetry book but, having finished her other tomes, she'd decided to give it a go. Blaze wasn't willing to admit how quickly she'd fallen in love with the story, let alone its characters. She'd become immersed in the tale a teenaged hedgehog named Ivory, a girl who spends most of her time studying to appease her restrictive parents, and her burgeoning affection for her best friend, a feline by the name of Star. Of course, the hedgehog's feelings come into conflict with her need to study and soon she's fighting to choose between stargazing with her beloved and doing advanced trigonometry.

"I know it's not what I usually read but I saw you reading it a while ago. Whenever you did, it looked like it was making you really happy, so I figured it was worth reading myself," He must have caught the shock in her eyes, wincing slightly he asked, "Should I not have? You left it on the shelf ages ago and you hadn't marked a page, so I thought you were done with it. If you're not you can have it back, I'm sorry."

Ignoring his query, she couldn't help but ask a question of her own, "How much have you read?"

"I think I'm about halfway through it? Ivory has been hiding up in her room, pretending to be sick and not even going to school, because Star keeps accidentally distracting her in class and her grades have started to slip. Her parents aren't happy about it and neither is she, but she's sure that if she doesn't study on her own things will get worse," Silver expunged and, as he did, Blaze felt her blush grow brighter still, "Star doesn't seem to understand that he's the problem though, judging by the chapter I've almost finished. He made copies of all his notes to give her but, rather than just give them to her parents; he climbed her wall to knock on her bedroom window."

Of all the scenes in the book, Blaze knew that one the best and that truth embarrassed her most of all. She had read and reread that chapter on no fewer than twenty separate occasions; she could recall it from memory, practically word for word.

"He wanted to give her the notes and leave but she took his hand instead, it was raining so she insisted that he stayed for a while. They talked for a bit, she kept looking at his lips and, well, eventually they just… kissed," He concluded, so very bluntly.

That moment was the reason Blaze was embarrassed that he was reading the book. It was during that chapter that the Blaze couldn't help drawing parallels between the studious, serious, hedgehog and herself. Ivory's feline lover on the other hand, contradictory as it was, matched Silver all too well. The character of Star was painfully honest, overly curious, genuine and very naïve indeed; going out of his way for Ivory far more often than he truly should have. Additionally, although Blaze had never lived as a normal girl in a normal house, the concept of Star scaling Ivory's wall to see her could so easily be swapped with Silver floating his way to Blaze's windowsill to stay for a little while. Just long enough for a kiss of course, long enough to sweep her off her feet but not to carry her away; enough to leave her wanting just a little more.

Blaze would never admit, not even to herself, how many times she'd imagined and reimagined that scene.

The only response she could muster were two, quiet, words, "I-I see."

"I've been enjoying it, it's really nice to see what high school was like way back when it existed, but kissing keeps coming up. Ivory kept thinking about him kissing her, she kept considering kissing him and stuff like that. I thought when they actually did it I'd be able to understand why she thought about it so much, but I still don't?" Silver embarrassingly extrapolated, "They built up kissing as this wonderful thing and that it's really special, but isn't it just two people pushing their mouths together? I've read about kissing in encyclopaedias, and kisses have been mentioned in other stories I've read, but it never seemed all that important to me. Ever since I started this book, I can't stop thinking about it."

Blaze tried her hardest to keep her tail under control as those last words slipped free from his lips. Her arms folded across her chest, her ears pinned back and her eyes found themselves magnetically drawn away from his face and toward by a patch of burnt carpet.

"Well, um," She tried her best to think of some brief, yet thorough, explanation but embarrassment forced the truth from her, "It's rather difficult to describe the appeal of kissing."

"I've reread that passage a ton and I just don't get it…" He nodded in agreement, "Kissing is supposed to feel nice, I can tell that much, but, in the book, it's described as feeling like an explosion in your chest? But Ivory also says that it feels soft and sweet and tender, how can it be so many different things?"

"I'm," She nervously swallowed, now pondering on it herself. Thinking back to how she imagined kissing Silver would feel, "N-Not entirely sure."

"And why didn't people kiss more often? If it feels so amazing, wouldn't you want to do it all the time? Wouldn't lots of people just… kiss each other?" He'd asked yet another question, Blaze felt like she had to give some kind of answer this time.

"W-Well, I always thought that it wasn't kissing itself that feels like that, it's the fact you are kissing the right person; that's what makes it feel so wonderful. It's the fact that you're sharing such an intimate moment with someone you care deeply for; the person you care for the most. You're showing them how much you care about them by drawing them in close and exchanging a touch reserved for them and no other. The two of you get to share a moment born of your intimacy, m-made real by your closeness. You couldn't ask just anyone to kiss you and expect it to be wonderful, it has to be that special person. If it wasn't, then it wouldn't matter so you wouldn't get that feeling," The feline felt herself stumbling over her words. Though her understanding of kissing was clearly more developed than his, she, of course, hadn't actually kissed anyone. "At least, I think that's how it's supposed to be…"

"No, I think you're right. I think that makes way more sense than just touching lips and feeling a magic spark or some kind of nice earthquake. It having to be the right person would explain why everyone wasn't kissing all the time..." Silver seemed to pause for a moment, deep in through, "Can we try it?"

What puzzled her most of all was how nonchalant he was being. Had her explanation been that poor? Did he not understand he'd been reading a romance novel? Did he really think it was some kind of historical document, detailing an actual young girl's time at high school? Even then, the book focused so much on Ivory's crush while her schooling was more of a backdrop that occasionally pushed the narrative in an interesting direction. He had to know kisses occurred between loved ones rather than friends, didn't he? Despite how flustered she felt and how her blush was surely showing, he seemed totally unfazed by their situation; not in the least bit bashful about his proposal! Had she not explained this was one of the most intimate acts a pair could perform, reserved for only-

"I care about you more than I care about anyone or anything else, so if kissing works like you said then you're the person I should be kissing," He explained, entirely serious and more than half confident in his hypothesis, "Right?"

It was as though her brain was misfiring, Blaze was left completely speechless. Here he was, asking if he could kiss her and asking her to kiss him. There was zero hesitation in his voice, not an iota of contemplation or a speck of bashfulness. As was ever so common, the hedgehog's heart was on his sleeve and his intentions were much too easily discerned. They cared a lot about each other, the bandages they wore were more than evidence of that, but for him to so bluntly surmise their mutual care still caught her off guard. Not only that, but he truly wanted to try it; he wasn't joking, he wasn't the type to do that, Silver genuinely wanted to try kissing. He wanted to kiss her.

She must have been staring into space for too long because, when he finally broke the silence, concern hung on his voice; "We don't have to if you don't want to Blaze, it's ok-

"N-No I…" Blaze caught herself before she could finish that sentence; she swallowed her stutter and steeled herself, "Get up! You want to do this so we're doing it!"

"Really?!" The smile on his face was overwhelming, Silver bounded to his feet without hesitation but he paused before he could approach any further, "Are you sure? I don't know much about kissing, but the book made it out to be a big deal. A person's first kiss especially, that one's supposed to be really special. "

"I just agreed, didn't I? I'm more than certain, " A realisation dawned upon Blaze, she posed a similar question, "Are you okay with me being your first kiss?"

"Of course I am Blaze! There's no one else I'd even consider, you're really important to me and this is meant to be really important so it only makes sense," He was beaming at her, clearly overexcited, "As long as you're sure, I'm sure. As long as you're okay, I'm okay."

"Just," She felt a warmth she could only describe as bubbling giddiness; it was growing too powerful, "Give me a moment."

Blaze fully turned away from him in an attempt to compose herself, her eyes shut and arms still tightly folded across her chest. A bizarre shudder raked through her; she imagined it was the combined symptom of anticipation and, admittedly, a little bit of fear. Though she'd thought about it, Blaze hadn't anticipated something like this actually happening for years, if it ever did. She'd assumed, at the very least, neither of them would have the will to broach the subject until after Iblis was defeated for good. Furthermore, she'd imagined it'd be her dropping hints and to struggling to gently show interest. This was all just a little too fast, all just a little too sudden. Blaze felt her tail wriggle and writhe, it was as though her embarrassment was attempting to break free of her body and manifest as its own, awkward, entity. Were it not for today's endeavour, had she not fought and drained herself, Blaze was certain that her flames would have sprung forth long ago.

It was only as she reopened her eyes that she noticed he'd shifted. Not only had Silver drawn a few steps closer but his bright yellow eyes were shining down on her, carrying upon them an innocent worry that pierced her heart.

"I'm fine, I said I was… you're so naïve," Blaze caught herself half growling, reflexively puffing herself up in an attempt to look more confident than she actually was. One of her arms fell to her side, her remaining hand still gripping at her elbow. She sighed, trying to relax just a little, "This is all very new to me too and I want to do it right. I'm trying to think how we should… start."

"We could just do it like they did?" Despite her state, he still seemed oblivious to the connotations of their immanent embrace. She couldn't tell if that was for better or worse, "Like Star and Ivory."

The first kiss between Star the Cat and Ivory the Hedgehog, while not as heated as kisses she'd read about in later books, was a rather intimate affair. As she recalled, it remained surface level (that, or anything beyond the lips was left purely to the imagination) but the position they managed and the time spent in lip-lock was a feat in and of itself. To call that moment between them their first kiss would be to put it too lightly, too simply; it was much more than an awkward peck. But it wasn't too much more, she hoped at least.

"L-Like Star and Ivory," Blaze managed to repeat, half reflecting on what she wanted out of this first kiss and half on what she thought was possible, "I don't think that's beyond being possible?"

Having said that, Blaze did realise (now putting herself in Ivory's shoes) she would have to guide him. Even though he knew the hold, she was going to imitate this. Blaze, struggling not to turn away as her embarrassment maximised, reached across with her left hand; fumbling to find his hand only for him to find hers. Their fingers slowly interlocked and, as they did, she gingerly crossed her thumb across his.

"W-Wrap your arm around my waist," With the embarrassment behind her breath, it sounded almost as though she'd commanded him.

Despite her rashness, his arm immediately coiled around her waist. Blaze stumbled forward slightly; her chin had almost met with his chest fur. The gap between their frames was so very small; as her gaze dropped again she saw that her feet were between his. As she felt his right hand come to rest, only her tank top kept his fingers from her hip and his palm from the small of her back.

It was close, but this wasn't quite the complete hold Star and Ivory had shared. After all, Blaze still had one free hand. She wasn't brave enough to sink her fingers into his quills, not yet at least. For now, the less intimate contact would do; she'd have to build up to it.

Another realisation struck, only furthering Blaze's embarrassment. Despite the fact she was leading, despite her telling him what to do and how to kiss her, she was almost half a head shorter than him. The feline wore her heels so often (and she'd been so distracted by her embarrassment) that she'd completely forgotten the difference between their heights. Getting Silver to bend down and kiss her was, somehow, more embarrassing than the alternative. She would have to rise, climbing to her tiptoes in order to kiss him. It wasn't helping that, with so little distance between them, she was on eye level with the lips she'd soon be kissing. Try as she might, she couldn't stop staring.

"Is this okay Blaze? Am I holding you too tight?" He innocently inquired.

"N-No, that's good, I…" Her mouth felt dry all of a sudden, she assumed it was the heat, "We'll also need to tilt our heads, o-otherwise our lips won't meet properly," He blinked at her. Once again, he hadn't fully understood, "Lets both tilt right?"

"Like this?" Without hesitation, Silver tilted his head too far right. His muzzle was pressing against his shoulder, it seemed she would have to take more initiative than simply rising to her tiptoes.

"A little less, more like…" Blaze, without even thinking, reached up and sunk her hand into his quills, thus completing the hold as described in the book and the position they'd often taken in her mind's eye. Lines she'd read about pairs sharing passionate embraces, fingers running through hair and quills alike, quickly rushed to the forefront of her mind. Despite this, the feline couldn't bring herself to remove her hand from his overgrown spines. As she tilted her head to match his, she convinced herself that her hand should stay there. This way she could course-correct if they made a mistake, "There, th-that's perfect."

Innocent, excited, yellow eyes sparkled, but at this distance Blaze managed to spot something interesting. Now, with that promised kiss no more than a few moments away, a pink tinge had gently spread across his cheeks.

"Are you starting to understand? I've been feeling like this ever since you asked about kissing. Warm and nervous and…" Blaze forced herself to continue the explanation, after all; she was supposed to lead this, "Like my heart is exploding."

"I-I," He very almost forgot her hold as he shot up straight, eyes widening at his own stutter. Suddenly, his eyes darted to part from hers; unfortunately, there weren't many other places to look. He managed to half mumble, "I think I am."

"Do you still want to…" She led, once again finding herself unable to finish her sentence. It wasn't that she wanted to stop, in fact now she'd faintly invigorated, but she had to be sure he was comfortable.

Those bright yellow orbs flickered back to her amber ones as he gave as best a nod as he could, "I'm starting to get it, b-but now I want to know what it's actually like."

Silver's blush was creeping further, threatening to scale his ears with each passing moment. Well, at least they were flustered together; to Blaze, that somehow made this all just a little less embarrassing. She didn't have much time to consider that though, the tension between them seemed to be growing thicker by the second. She felt those often-described butterflies in her stomach but, as long as he did too, she knew that was fine. As long as it was mutual, as long as they were on the same wavelength, she knew everything would be okay.

"Alright, I'll lean in and, once I start kissing you, try to make your lips match mine," She instructed, managing to properly hold eye contact for the first time since he'd asked.

The hedgehog's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Just," She had no idea how to elegantly phrase what she wanted to say, "When I push my lips against yours, you're supposed to push back…? You can use your neck a little but I-I think you're supposed to just use your lips," Clearly still befuddled, Silver started to shape his lips into various (likely useless) forms. Not wanting to add humour to the dangerous concoction of emotions she was feeling, she quickly told him, "W-Watch and feel as I lead, I think the best way to learn is by doing it."

A look of realisation overcame his muzzle, fighting against his blush, "Oh, okay. So this is like practice?"

"If that helps then yes, th-think of it like practice," Blaze wasn't sure what she was saying at this point.

Practice for what? Practice for who? The only person she'd ever considered kissing was Silver and he'd only started to question kissing today, he'd even admitted she was the right person for him to kiss. Did he mean practice for the future? When she'd agreed, did she mean practice for the future? Blaze felt her hands grow sweatier as she contemplated that. She knew that even if Silver couldn't feel her sweat, he'd surely feel the heat that accompanied it. Thankfully, he hadn't mentioned it yet.

Swallowing one last time, she felt her grip grow just a little tighter, "Are you ready?"

"I-I think so?" Once again, caught off-guard by his own stutter, the blush on his cheeks grew a shade warmer. He managed to return her query, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Blaze half-nodded, there was nothing more to do. The moment was finally upon them, "Close your eyes and stick out your lips, I'll…" Synapses failed to fire as she struggled to give her final instruction. Eventually, she decided to draw upon their reference material, "I-I'll be Ivory, I-I'll lead and you … just do what you can."

For a moment he hesitated, perhaps he thought he'd be taking the hedgehog's position, but he quickly complied; closing his eyes and puckering up. He looked more than a little silly, clearly not sure of what to do with his mouth and his brows were strongly furrowed, but it was rather endearing. Just as neither of them knew what this would feel like, neither of them really knew what they were doing. For whatever reason, that thought relaxed Blaze just a little.

Blaze took a deep breath, squinting incredulously at Silver; expecting reality to, somehow, fall away before their lips could meet. She shifted onto to her tiptoes, maintaining her stare as matched the hedgehog's height. His eyes were shut much too tightly and his shoulders looked much too tense; it was as though he was bracing for a literal explosion rather than a figurative one. Deep within her chest, Blaze felt a fluttering warmth. It was soft and yet, somehow, prickly. It was calming yet exhilarating; soothing yet overwhelming. It was as if her blood had been replaced with crackling energy; fuzzy feelings were flowing throughout her body but her heart couldn't handle the strain. As the distance between them shrank her temperature continued to rise, the feeling was just as contradictory as the books made it out to be. It was too strange to verbalise yet unabashedly wonderful.

Her eyelids grew heavy, her head tilted to mirror his alignment and three stuttered words managed to slip from her mouth. It was a phrase she couldn't help but use whenever these feelings grew just a little too palpable, "Y-You're so naïve…"

Eyes fully shut, Blaze pressed her muzzle against his; their lips met for the very first time. Surprised caused his fingers to tense, his grip around her waist tightened so suddenly that Blaze very almost ended their lip lock there and then; but her own hold on his quills kept them connected. Admittedly, however, a muffled, not unlike a squeak, did push past her lips. She kept hold of the back of his head, trying to make sure that he didn't mistake the sound for some kind of regret. Blaze felt herself almost melt into Silver, despite the strength with which they were surely holding each other; three of their four contact points faded into obscurity while the fourth drew all of her attention.

Electrifying was a word Blaze had never truly understood, electricity belonged to a long lost past, but, finally, she could match a sensation to its definition. Despite the heat and her nervousness, or perhaps even due to it, Blaze was thoroughly enjoying this.

It was only as she began to understand this feeling that it metamorphosed into something even greater. Silver had overcome his surprise and was fighting to return her kiss! She felt him shift in her grasp, contrary to what she'd advised he'd shifted his head and leant in closer still; pressing his mouth into hers. Despite the clumsiness behind his effort, it was more than enough to draw muffled purrs from her throat and send what remained of her senses into disarray. She felt her tail whip wildly and her ears press angle down further; as if urging her to somehow close the distance even further.

This was achieved by tugging his quills, she'd tilted his head just a little more and thus allowed their contact to deepen. His lips pushed against hers, he'd overcome his shock and remembered her advice. The warmth of her face now mingled and matched with that in her chest, culminating in a combined heat the likes of which she'd never felt. It was unlike any flame she could conjure and must have been the antithesis of Iblis' lava. It was like a roaring hearth, a heat that comforted despite its ferocity. Blaze found herself sifting through his quills and felt herself unravel just a little more; giving in to feelings she'd previously quarantined. If it was only going to be this once, this one and only test, she wanted to make the very most of it.

When they finally separated the sound of their panting filled the room and Blaze felt more than a little lightheaded. Were it not for their shared grip, one of them would have surely stumbled. Blaze wasn't sure how long that silence lasted but, equally, she didn't care. She was much too distracted by the lingering warmth on her lips.

"That was incredible, Blaze! I-I think I get it now!" Silver, meanwhile, was recovering in his own way. Trying to reassure her thus reassuring himself. Still, he wasn't wrong, "I-It's even better than the book said!"

With her embarrassment returning to its highest point, Blaze's voice was robbed from her and her eyes returned to that patch of burnt carpet. But, regardless of her capacity to speak, the feline's uncontrollable purrs were most certainly conveying mutuality of his statement.

"Can we do it again?"


	31. Present or Plunder

"Your majesty, are you certain this is the best course of action?" Gardon, an elderly Koala who served as the royal retainer, whispered to his young ruler. "Forgive my saying this seems a little… blunt? A little too direct perhaps, would you disagree?"

Blaze the cat, the sole monarch of Sol, stood at the bow of a warship; eyes locked on a horizon obscured by mist. Eight of her ships and, if reports were to be believed, countless pirate vessels had undergone a plundering described by many supernatural. Due east of Southern Isle, a few miles from the common trade route, was an area prone to thick fog yet strong winds. When the wind was right merchant ships, desperate to meet deadlines, often took this sub-route in hopes of making up for lost time. No one had been injured, the ships went undamaged, but whenever her vessels had entered the fog an ultimatum allegedly sounded. It was best described as a demand for tribute, the choice to throw their valuables to the depths or have phantasmal light seize them. Regardless of the truth, to steal from vessels bearing her flag was a declaration of war.

"Blunt as it may be, they only attack singular ships; we cannot bring our naval might. I want to put an end to this nonsense as quickly as possible. I'll prove this is a pirate front, apprehend the perpetrators and drag them home for trial." She'd spoken plainly, focused on the task at hand rather than formality, as was often the case.

"Of course your highness, forgive me." The old man lowered his head, regalia jangling as he bowed. "You know I worry."

"I'm aware, though, regardless of the reason for this venture," Blaze spared him a glance, the faintest outline of a smile graced her lips, "It is nice to be outside castle grounds. Especially on less serious business." Though Gardon was Blaze's most trusted advisor he'd practically raised her and that, naturally, came with some baggage. He was the closest she had to a parent, she the closest he had to a daughter and yet she was his ruler. "Do drop the titles, while we're out here at least."

He sighed, resuming his usual high shouldered and stiff posture. "If you insist. Shouldn't be long till we breach the fog, are you prepared?"

Free of her kingdom the feline had shed her royal garb and a far more comfortable outfit had taken its place. A purple long coat, adorned with silver buttons bearing the royal insignia, obscured a white dress shirt. A pair of cavalier boots protected her feet while matching black tights shielded her legs. For fighting her foes, two swords hung at Blaze's waist. They were simple sabres, designed for duelling rather than combat, but her aim was always to subjugate rather than kill. She could, of course, rely upon the curse that ran in her blood but that came with repercussions. If those pirates came to trial branded the news would travel far and fast, dissuading other pirates but terrifying her people. They wanted a princess who'd rule them justly, not some demon sat on the throne.

"I won't know until I face them, will I?" As she spoke, turning fully to Gardon, she found his form faintly obscured. Despite her efforts, the fog had crept up on them. "Ideally this vessel serves as my transport but, if I fail, it's armed for a reason. Have the crew ready themselves, the so-called ghost ship should soon be upon us."

With less than a second's hesitation, the koala turned and began to roar orders in a voice the stark opposite that prior. Blaze heard footsteps pound across the deck and the sounds of heavy canons being rolled into place, all the while her gaze was fixed ahead; awaiting whatever form dared emerge from it. Her fur bristled against the salty wind, ears flickering as she tried to identify any shapes in the fog or hear something besides the crashing of waves.

She folded her arms, brow furrowing at her wasted effort, and turned to the stern of the ship. Despite the mist's attempt to obscure them, she saw men and women stood ready; twenty individuals discounting herself and Gardon. No lives had been taken in prior raids, but had these pirates faced such adversity? Twenty-one soldiers, each prepared to die for their princess, but ultimately; they were twenty-one lives she sought to protect. She'd trained since she could walk but it'd been months since she last truly fought and her presence alone likely wouldn't dissuade her foes, not without some show of power. Perhaps unleashing her curse would be enough; showing those pirates something truly supernatu-

Blaze lurched backwards, the wind had dropped from the sails… no, it was more than that. She cast her eyes up to them only to find they'd fully furled, the ropes that once held them were swaying as if caught in a gale; floating beyond the reach of her crew. Waves broke against the hull of the ship and yet it refused to rock. Before she could turn, Blaze sighted her shadow cast in eerie light; a pulsing blue glow that stretched her shade to its utmost lengths before returning it to its regular shape. Hands at her sword hilts Blaze spun on her heel, jaw shut tight as she steadied herself through bewilderment. The white miasma had been cast cyan; ghostly light shone from her own ship's hull as though it had been slathered in ectoplasm. But that couldn't be the case; it had to be some trick! She racked her mind; it had to be some weather phenomena or a trick of the lig-

"Present or Plunder?" The ultimatum was dealt, a booming voice echoed from the fog. But it was no ghostly moan nor haunting shriek, it was the voice of a regular person. This had to be a trick; it simply had to be!

Flinching at her own hesitation the princess turned back, drawing her swords lest the fool could see her. "You are no privateer! What right do you have to plunder? Pirates shall be punished to the full extent of the law! Surrender lest I drag you from your ship, repent and your lives will be spare!"

Silence swept over the sea, the wind did not whistle and her crew refused to move. Blaze knew she had chosen her words well, her voice was known throughout the land and, furthermore, she had given clear warning. No sailor, on their ship or hers, could claim she hadn't been merciful; other countries would have fired into the fog without hesitation.

The pirate's response was clear. "You have chosen Plunder. Your goods are forfeit. Cast your treasures into the depths or I will take them myself."

"Ready the cannons!" With her word Blaze drew her cutlasses, amber eyes sharpened in an attempt to cut through the fog. Unable to see, she shouted again. "You face the crown! Without surrender, there will be no mercy!"

As her first demand hadn't been met, Blaze doubted her opponent would reconsider but that shout was more intended to bolster her crew. To those of weaker minds and dispositions, this would seem like the attack of an adult. Whatever phenomena caused this ethereal light would, undoubtedly, cause the disappearance of their belongings; she just had to determine how and why.

Just as she began to ponder it, Blaze felt herself grow lighter; there was a tugging at her fingertips. It took but a moment to react but her grasp tightened as a bizarre blaring noise swept across the ship, it sounded like the moan of an alien whale. An invisible force had grabbed hold of her swords and (tug as she might) was refusing to let go; the pirates were trying to steal her swords from her very grasp. Digging in her heels, the feline's fangs came to bear. There was a scream behind her, she heard someone cry the word ghost, her bolstering had been for nought; she had to help them!

Irritated but unwilling to part with her swords, her curse bubbled to the surface; blistering flame were leaking from the mark on her back. Soon fire danced across her shoulders and wove its way along her arms, quickly arriving at her hands. With a roar and a final heave, those flames shot up her sword and tore away whatever had grasped them; allowing the princess to quickly return the blades to their sheathes and lock them in place. Despite having learned from this interaction, she was still puzzled. There was no hand grasping at her blades, yet they had been pulled away from her. Perhaps it was a bizarre magnetic phenomenon? If utilised correctly, that could explain her sabres being taken… but then why wasn't the metal on her clothes reacting and why had her flames-

Above the clamour Blaze heard Gardon yell out; "Your majesty! Come quickly!" But as she turned the feline found the fog had grown thicker still, her crew reduced to dark shapes moving within the cyan tinted clouds.

She dropped from the ship's head, racing across the deck and toward the largest cluster of ship hands. Though her journey was quick, with each and every step new shapes appeared through the miasma. Objects wear tearing themselves from the deck and floating toward the sky. Blaze heard koalas cry out as they were robbed of their swords, she heard the sounds of metal clattering and the deck creaking as it was relieved of strain. Following the elder's shouts, she managed to reach him; only half visible through the miasma.

"There's no gold on the ship so they're taking our weapons!" Gardon cried out, clinging to a koala as they clang to a cannon that was starting to float away.

"I've got it!" Blaze shouted, hardly even thinking as she clambered and swung her way up and atop the canon. Despite their combined mass, the cannon still hung in the air. She'd intended to set both it and herself alight when a thought dawned upon her. "Let go, both of you!"

"Blaze! What are you doing?!" Her elder subordinate yelled.

"Clearly we can't stop them stealing from us, whatever they're doing it's spread too far and they've already claimed too much!" She called back. "But, if they hope to steal our weapons, I'll make sure they get more than they bargained for!"

The koala quickly understood, she watched him open his mouth to shout again only for it to close. His eyes shut tight. "Are you sure about this?"

She wasn't, she was doing this on a whim, but she wasn't going to let that show. Steeling her brow and locking her swords beneath the weapon's barrel, further securing herself to it, she turned from him and gave one last shout. "Of course I am, let go!"

There was a final moment of hesitation, but she felt the canon shift higher into the air. She glanced back to the koalas only to find they'd vanished from view, her ship followed suit as she flew beyond its bow. She could make out other canons as she flew but, beyond that, the shape of their plundered weapons was beyond discerning. They'd travelled light, bringing canons, flintlocks and a few dozen swords. Considering the goods they'd plundered from her fleet alone, this was barely a drop in the bucket. Eventually, the smog started to thin and soon she could see that same eerie light ahead.

The enemy was anchored in the eye of the fog cloud, as she drew closer the clear zone granted her a perfect view of both her stolen goods and the ship. The tales of a ghost ship seemed a magnitude truer as it came into view; the vessel's sails were tattered and its hull was punctured in several places. The same blue light that had plundered her ship seemed to coat this boat's entirety, making it hard to identify the hull's shape; let alone any identifiable markings. What little Blaze could see was jagged and broken; it seemed that little more than the glow and great clumps of barnacles were holding the ship together. Rationally, logically, it shouldn't have been able to float, let alone sail.

But, beyond the state of the ship, something far more confusing caught her eye. Despite its state, beneath the rot and the damage, this ship was so very familiar to her. The sail bore the royal crest, despite the state the sails; Blaze could make out seven emeralds emblazoned upon them. The ship's figurehead was familiar too, a crowned feline with a single outstretched arm (now merely a stump), and even the ship's scale was so very familiar to Blaze. It was damaged, almost beyond the point of recognition, but this ship was so very similar to the one she'd just left. Her ship, her family's ship, the one of a kind ship that'd been constructed almost one hundred years ago; The Sunflower. Whatever trick these thieves were playing, it was getting stranger by the moment.

This bizarreness was compounded as Blaze watched the first of her weapons approach the desk, a swarm of ten or fifteen cutlasses. Before they could make contact with the deck, Blaze watched as the wood panelling cracked and buckled upward to create a wide crevice. The swords flew in without hesitation; over the hum of glowing energy Blaze manage to hear them clatter against something. As more and more equipment vanished into the hole, it became apparent Blaze's cannon would soon do the same. From her position atop the barrel she was free to look down, the hull was half-full with shining objects; among the swords and flintlocks were copper trinkets, necklaces and coinage.

Before the deck could engulf her, only half expecting it'd bear her brunt, Blaze leapt from the canon; landing on the deck, a few metres from the opening. The wood, held in place by that blue light, was secure to stand on; it didn't even creak beneath her. A cursory glance to her surroundings gleamed little more than what she'd already noticed. This ship, despite how damaged it looked, was a mirror of her own. Eventually the last of her ship's weapons vanished into the hull and, like the doors to a cellar, the frayed wooden boards returned to their prior position; the deck had mended itself. Now alone on this supposed ghost ship, Blaze couldn't deny there was an eeriness in the air. The sooner she got to the bottom of this, the sooner she found whoever had made that demand, the better.

As she started to walk, the princess realised she wasn't actually stepping on the deck. The touch of her heel against the floor made a bizarre sparking noise and, despite the boards being uneven and broken, it was as though she was stepping on solid, flat, concrete. The light was creating some kind of barrier between her and the ship, preventing her from touching the decrepit wood beneath. Alike her own when it entered the fog, this ship refused to rock with the tide too; hanging in place, unaffected by the waves. Further adding to the eeriness, the deck was lifeless. Not a single crewmember was present and, search as she might, Blaze could find no signs of daily life. There was no mess; no bags left unattended and no sign of sailors' tools (no spyglasses, no ropes and, most astonishingly, no weapons). Beneath the cyan barrier, the deck looked filthy; no fewer than ten generations of barnacles and limpets lined the hull.

Her denial had started to waver; these supernatural sights were growing too great in number. Loot had flown through the air, this ship was floating despite being decrepit and it seemed to sail without a crew. There was no natural explanation for this; it was either the work of some miraculous gadgetry or the rumours were-

After biting her tongue Blaze screamed out. "What need does a ghost have of weapons and gold? You are no spirit; you are a pirate merely masquerading as the dead to avoid punishment! Show yourself!"

It was not fear but outrage driving her shouts; this farcical ship went against all she had learned. Her family were cursed, powerful yes but feared for their power. Supernatural fire was no plaything, born without a spark or match-strike it was a deadly tool easily mishandled. Regardless of how this power was achieved, its wielder was abusing what she'd been forced to hide. The strong were meant to act sparingly, do what had to be done and no more. If there was a supernatural presence piloting this ship, they were using such power to satiate their greed. It was a misuse of power, a misuse so flagrant it brought Blaze's blood to boil.

"If you will not show yourself willingly, I will force you out!" She drew her swords, igniting the right blade's tip. "Failure to heed my words will result in the immolation of your ship, its plunder included!"

Regardless of who manned this ship, they failed to heed her final warning. With the flick of her wrist, the fire leapt from her blade to the floor, sizzling away at the cyan aura before setting the wood itself alight. Despite her training, she felt her fingers clench around her swords' hilts as she waited for a reaction.

She didn't have to wait for long; her ears flickered as the wood began to buckle behind her. Without hesitation she threw herself forward, leaping toward the mast and turning to face what she anticipated to be a gnashing maw of wood. Instead, the hole remained small; just big enough for her to fall through. Unsettling silence continued to rule, a glance to the deck found her flames were spreading very slowly. The coating on the wood was impeding their propagation.

Her eyes raced back to the hole only to find it sealed, hovering roughly a foot from the deck was a form shrouded in brown burlap. Chains hung from their wrists and the bottom of their tattered cloak, their face was obscured by the shadow of their hood and cyan light flared from a pair of billowing sleeves. This figure had all the trappings of a ghost; there was no denying that.

The whole ship seemed to shake as they spoke, the surrounding light flared wildly. "You chose plunder and thus your ship was plundered. Leave this ship with a lesson learned, provide me with a gift and your vessel will go untouched. Share this lesson, lest others share your fate."

The feline pointed her swords at this so-called ghost. "You have stolen from my people just as you have stolen from me, those goods are not yours to keep! You have committed piracy and will be sentenced as a pirate, continued resistance will worsen your charge."

The figure seemed to take pause at her resistance. Though their head was obscured and their clothes were billowy, their body language spoke volumes to Blaze. They were floating no higher than a foot from the ground. This being was looking down on her, just as it had talked down to her, and acting as though she was at fault. Acting as though her intrusion on this ship, a ship modelled after her own, was more boorish than his continuous theft.

"If you will not leave willingly, you will be forced to leave," As if to emphasise their point, the figure closed their right fist. Out of the corner of her eye, Blaze watched as ghostly aura smothered her burgeoning flame. "This is your final warning."

"And I have warned you, several times; surrender or I will show you no mercy!" The princess growled back, grip further tightening on her blade's hilts. "You will not hear me submit!"

Again, the figure fell silent. Blaze swore that, beneath his heavy robes, she saw a set of yellow eyes blink and dart around. They weren't attacking her, not yet at least, but they certainly weren't surrendering. The so-called ghost hung there, hands flaring with a light brighter than that on the ship. The longer they hung, stationary in the air, the angrier Blaze found herself growing. It was all so stereotypical; the light, the robes, the chains and even the obscured face. Though she couldn't explain her surroundings, not rationally at least, she half believed the form to be some kind of marionette; a puppet being manipulated by crafty pirates. She didn't dare break her gaze from them but she knew that the crow's nest was overhead, the angle was strange but it didn't seem impossible.

Regardless of what they were, Blaze was at her wit's end. If they would not surrender by choice then there was no alternative. With a hiss behind her breath, Blaze gave up negotiating. "So be it, I'll take you in by force."

The princess began her approach, swords unlit but raised to strike. The puppet shifted slightly in the air, backing away from her. Knowing it'd be a mistake to let him flee, let alone strike first, the feline pounced with both blades drawn over her shoulders. Her attack was successful, her blunted swords had smashed against his shoulder, but it was as though she'd struck stone rather than flesh. Cyan sparks flew from the point of impact as their form was sent careening towards the deck, Blaze thought she'd secured a clean hit but the ground reacted; swallowing them whole and resealing before she could even land.

Alone on the deck again, Blaze tried to corral her frustration. Taking her right blade, Blaze swung it where the hole had formed. Her weapon caught no strings and a glance to the crow's nest revealed no opponents, the robed figured wasn't a puppet.

It wasn't long before the silence was broken; the sound of splintering wood filled her ears. She spun on her heel only to find the figure hadn't remerged. Five planks had sprung from the deck and were rocketing toward her. She managed to knock the first two away but the third shifted mid-flight, it came at her long ways and struck her in the gut but the initial impact wasn't the problem. The plank kept moving, its considerable speed was pushing her back and keeping her feet from the ground; it was attempting to throw her from the ship!

A snarl slipped her throat; flames exploded from her back and quickly chased along her arms. Orange sparks spat and fought with cyan, crackling and exploding before one gave way; her flames ignited the wood. Her heels found the ground, the beam crumbled into ash as the fire consumed both it and the cyan light that held it together.

Before she could understand what she'd done, the remaining two boards were racing toward her; crossed over each other in to create an X. Without so much as a thought, Blaze thrust her right sword forward; her curse rushed across her body and from the weapon's end, flying toward the cross as a bolt of red flame.

The contact was bright and explosive. As she squinted to see, Blaze had prepared her offhand to strike away whatever remained but when the light cleared, only dust and splinters reached her. The wood had been liberated from the cyan hue and either crumbled or burned, too dilapidated to maintain its form.

Again, before she could consider what she'd done, Blaze heard the whir of electric wind and the buckling of wood. Regaining her bearings, she found herself on the starboard bow; only a few metres from the deck's edge. Unable to locate the crackling's source (nor the figure), Blaze started to stalk across the deck; heading towards the mast. She attempted to move quietly, assuming if that person was relying on sound rather than sight, and prepared to ignite at the first sign of movement.

She managed twelve paces before the wood creaked beneath her. Blaze ignited, casting her amber gaze across the deck, but she still couldn't sight her opponent. She quickly shifted the fire to her weapons; cloaking them in orange heat, before taking another, hesitant, step forward. The ship was still wrapped in cyan light, nothing had changed, but she knew her opponent was out there. It was time for a shift, it was time to swap from defence to offence.

Blaze swung her weapons forward and the fire flew from them again, two burning bolts raced from the metal and detonated upon contact with the ship's sail. The thin material was a far better conductor of flame; the fabric began to rapidly ignite. Almost immediately she heard the deck stir but again, glancing to her surroundings, she couldn't locate the figure. By the time her gaze returned to the sail the fire had been extinguished but a large black hole had formed near its centre; her crest had been removed.

Flames were just beginning to engulf her blades when she heard the loudest shifting of wood yet, a cacophonous splintering that was easy to locate. She looked at the peak of the mast and saw the hooded figure, but she didn't have time to focus on them.

The crow's nest had been torn off and broken into pieces, a hail of glowing wood was tumbling towards the deck. There was no time to move, the mass was too great and spread too widely! She engulfed her blades and dug in her heels, bracing for impact rather than even attempting to flee. As rubble came down she slashed with all her might, batting away and atomising a good portion. But the wood came in waves, by the time she'd deflected one the second was upon her. Rubble struck her from all angles, glancing off her shoulders and back. It hurt less than she'd anticipated, the rot had lightened the wood, but the damage wasn't insignificant; the figure's psychic grasp was reinforcing the wood.

As she attempted to rise from her buckled position, Blaze felt her swords slip free from her grasp and clatter across the ground. The electric humming had grown louder again, chains were dangling at the edge of her vision. Despite losing her weapons, Blaze attempted to pounce only for a bizarre feeling to engulf her midsection. Then it spread to her legs, then it spread to her upper body and, before she could react, the guardian was entirely engulfed. Cyan light had fully surrounded her; she couldn't move and she couldn't see but she could breathe.

Surrounded by the light, having watched the figure conjure it, she could no longer act as though it was a natural phenomenon. It didn't feel like she was being crushed, the hold itself was painless, but Blaze knew how dire her position was. This was a power like hers; this was a curse. At best; she was going to be flung back to her ship, at worst; she'd been taken hostage. But, just as she believed hope was fading, a thought dawned upon her.

"I gave you warnings, I asked you to leave. Don't make me force you, I don't want to hurt you." The light obscured their form, but Blaze could make out their outline. The figure was so close. "Remain still and I will return you to your ship, unharmed. Resist and I'll be forced to fight, I don't want to fight you!"

But Blaze wasn't listening to the figure's further ultimatums; she'd come up with a plan. She was preparing to strike. The feline was pooling heat near the small of her back. The cyan light could muffle her flames but, equally, her flames could burn away the light. There was air in here; if she could breathe then she could burn. Whatever this ghostly power was, Blaze knew she could fight it. It meant relying on the power she hated, but it was the only way.

The flames exploded from her back and ignited the light surrounding her, it spat and exploded as her own orange flames came to engulf her entire body. Soon she was totally free from their psychic grasp, she landed on her feet. Looking up at the figure, she caught sight of their face in the light of her flames. He had yellow eyes and, by the state of his muzzle, he was incredibly gaunt; beyond that, she couldn't make out much.

His ghastly light would mute her burning and, as long as she kept control, she wouldn't end up scaring him. This was an opponent she could fight fairly, an opponent she could fight without holding back. Leaping from the deck, Blaze ignited her fists. She didn't speak, she hardly even thought, for this was the time to strike. She lunged up at him, her flames battered against his cyan hue, but this time Blaze struck true; she felt her knuckle contact his chest. The floating man doubled over at that contact, their body was pulled upward and beyond her reach, but that fine. Blaze had hit him once; she knew she could hit him again.

The figure thrust his right hand towards her and, for a moment, Blaze felt the light's pressure on her shoulders. She reignited without hesitation, rending the light from her body and showing him that his method wouldn't work. He had three choices; tear apart this ship fighting her, fight her on his own or give up fighting.

Light flared around her, the debris from the crow's nest began to hover. He'd chosen option one.

Blaze immolated herself, she allowed fire to fully engulf her body and obscure her vision. Her curse's cracking filled her ears, overwhelming the psychic hum. She felt the wood touch her body but the impact was reduced further still, the rotten wood was being ignited and disintegrated before it could even touch her. When the impacts finally ceased and she subdued her flames enough to see, Blaze was alone on the deck. She scanned the sky, he'd vanished again but she knew how to draw him out.

Channelling the fire that garbed her, Blaze formed a fireball more than a foot in diameter. She launched the orb towards the mast but, as it made contact, the fireball detonated and spread; smaller fires split off to surround the smoking central pillar. She watched the inferno swell and spread, slowly creeping across the deck and leaving gashes in its wake. The ship had already been in poor condition, incapable of sailing was it not for the energy engulfing it, but their battle had more thoroughly destroyed it. Psychic energy had glazed over the holes and perhaps made them safe to walk over, but the ship was twice the wreck it'd once been.

The deck creaked, her flames were snuffed and Blaze sighted the so-called ghost in the corner of her vision. She spun and threw an open fist, a smaller fireball shot free of her palm and exploded against his glowing body. "If you don't want to fight, then surrender!"

The figure was sent tumbling backwards, only managing to stabilise himself by dragging his feet along the ground. Blaze bolted after him; not only had he landed, the light had faded from his form! Only his hands were glowing! Blaze pounced at her opportunity, tackling him to the deck and pushing her hands against his collarbone. She'd won! The pirate was within her grasp!

His hood fell as she pinned him, revealing a tangled mess of overgrown quills. Amber eyes met bright yellow before they scanned the rest of his face. Bones were visible through his skin and, were it not for his panting, she would half-believe that he was a corpse. Black bags hung beneath his eyes, as though he'd gone weeks without sleep, and she saw neither resistance nor fear in his eyes. Instead, she couldn't help thinking that he looked regretful.

The moment Blaze caught her breath; she began the interrogation. "Speak your name."

Those eyes shut tight; she felt him tense once more before again flopping loosely in her grasp, seeming to concede to her. She knew better than to trust him though. "M-My name is Silver," That name matched no pirate she knew; his appearance was entirely alien to her too.

"Do you know my name?" She rhetorically asked. "Do you understand the weight of your crimes?"

"I-I understand what I've done but... I know you are a royal, I-I just don't know which one," He bafflingly admitted. "What year is it?"

Her brow hardened further, her pulse was pounding and adrenaline was racing through her. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"I don't, I'm telling you the truth!" Blaze leant on him a little harder, even if he looked near death he clearly had the strength to shout. In response, he quietened down but his stutter returned. "I know th-that seems stupid but I really don't know! I know this is the sea of Sol, I know we're the 'Merchant's Tunnel' and your ship is called The Sunflower, its been part of your family for generations, but I really don't know what year it is and I'm not sure who you are."

Maintaining her tight grip, Blaze posed an alternate question, "If you profess not to know my name yet know my lineage then answer me this; who do you think I am?"

"Maybe Percival the Eleventh…?" He answered, before quickly hazarding another guess. "Although, judging by your canons, you might be the Twelfth…?"

Confusion, aided by curiosity, forcibly undercut her ferocity. He looked no older than her, despite his tired and sickly state, and yet he had mistaken her for her elder relatives. She felt her adrenaline begin to abate. "Percival was my grandmother's name and my mother's name but it is not mine."

"W-Wait, y-you're Blaze?" He hadn't called her your majesty, everyone referred to her by royal titles yet he had failed to both upon first addressing her and now; having identified her. Against her better judgement, her grip on his burlap slacked. "If you're Blaze then it's almost too late! I-I thought I was at least half a century earlier!"

Feeling him begin to panic, slipping loose of her grasp, Blaze quickly realised her folly. She pressed further down on him, fingers digging into his shoulders as the entirety of her thin frame pushed to pin him. "I said not to move!"

Pain broke across his brow, his eyes shut again. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I-I…" He froze up, a brief silence followed his stutter. When he reopened his eyes the beginnings of tears had formed. "There's a lot I can tell you, but I don't think you'll believe me."

Blaze felt something in her chest (some hint of compassion perhaps) but, being her royal self, she knew to quash it. She distracted herself by further taking in his person, difficult as that was at such close proximity. The longer she stared the thinner and more ragged he appeared; she'd never seen anyone quite like him. Few citizens lived poorly in her kingdom, fewer still that she saw first hand, but he bordered on being malnourished. Hedgehogs were rare in the kingdom too, but the layout of his quills was simply bizarre and perhaps a result his overgrowth. His physical body was intriguing but not as intriguing as his curse. Though the light had weakened around the ship it still brightly flickered from his palms. Upon closer inspection, seeing how the light refracted through his mucky gloves, she determined those circular marks dyed his flesh rather than his gloves or fur. Somehow, a curse had affixed itself to him.

She waited a few moments longer before resuming, allowing them both some respite. "Where did you steal this power from?" She noticed her voice was sapped of its commanding venom. "Abilities like ours aren't meant for mortals, what foolish occult pact did you make?"

"M-My blessing? I've always had it," Silver claimed. "I've been psychic for as long as I can remember, I-I guess I just got lucky, like you did?"

"Like I di-

She hadn't dared to think of her curse as a blessing, let alone say it. No one ever had, not even Gardon. While in some ways his words made sense, her power kept her kingdom protected, but fear of it separated her from the masses. Still, though her brow furrowed further, that feeling in her chest grew, glowing kindling of compassion. At the very least, he wasn't all bad. This hedgehog hadn't tried to kill her despite resisting, he hadn't fought until she'd attacked him and he'd submitted after she'd defeated him. He seemed to be under some kind of delusion rather than being intentionally malicious. All of a sudden, her grip on him felt a lot looser. Try as she might to smother it, that kindling of compassion was growing brighter. As far as she knew, he hadn't claimed a single life; he hadn't even harmed a single seaman.

A sigh slid passed her lips. "I'm going to let go, you can sit up but do not move from that spot." Quickly deciding she was being too limp-wristed with him she quickly snapped. "I-If you do, my generous demeanour will quickly sour. You'll be back on the deck before you can blink."

His expression softened, as she slid off of the hedgehog he slowly rose to sit beside her; gangly legs poking free of his wrappings and revealing a second set of cuffs. Thin as he was, the hedgehog was almost a head taller than her. "Um… thank you, Blaze."

Neither the terms your majesty nor your highness passed his lips, just Blaze. Again, compassion bubbled in her gut; she felt a strange heat on her face. Being unable to look away, certain he'd capitalise on her weakness, propagated that warmth. She continued the interrogation in hopes of quashing this feeling. "Explain yourself! Why are you out here, why are you stealing from my vessels?"

"W-Well, I don't expect you to believe me but I didn't simply sail out here; at least, I didn't sail out here as you did," He started to explain. "I don't quite understand it myself, but I used this ship to cross a sea of time. I came here from the future."

Before she could even respond, he flinched slightly and his face crumpled. The hedgehog clearly wasn't expecting to be believed and, in truth, he had reason to think that. His claim was ludicrous, but then today had been a ludicrous day. She'd set out expecting to disprove a ghost tale only to find herself face to face with a cursed boy on a decrepit version of her own flagship. At this point, he could say he was an alien and she might have believed him.

A sigh, not far from a grumble, slipped past her lips. "Continue."

"Y-Your kingdom is going to fall. It's going to overtaken by a shadowy puppet-master and his pet monster. They'll shackle your people and work them, to death destroy all who disobey their will." The hedgehog continued to explain. "That's why I'm here, that's why I'm stealing from the past. I'm gathering all I can to rise up against them, give us a fighting chance. I figured that if I stole things from now, he wouldn't have them to use against us then," He quickly listed the types of items he'd stolen. "Weapons, trinkets and valuables; anything that can be used to fight, anything that can be melted down to make weapons and anything we can use for barter."

"That is difficult to believe." Blaze informed him, the strangeness of his tale offsetting her embarrassment. "Though, perhaps, not impossible; if you can provide further explanation. You say you crossed a sea of time to get here, how exactly did you do that?"

"I-I can show you," He offered, before quickly catching himself. "If you'll let me?"

She extended a hand to him, both offering to help him up but setting a rule. "You may stand as long as I hold you. If I release you, then you are to sit. If you flee then you will be made to sit."

Blaze watched a small smile line his lips, she felt his weak grasp and heard the waver return to his voice. "I-I'm not sure I could even stand without you holding me. It's taking all I have left to keep us from sinking…"

This proved true, as she tugged him to his feet he wobbled before stumbling into her. He unleashed an avalanche of apologies like they'd been building up over years but she was too focused on suppressing her blush to care. Her position meant physical contact was a rarity; she'd touched this time travelling pirate more than anyone in recent memory. Not only that but she'd offered her hand to him, pinned him to the deck and now slung his arm around her shoulder. She was initiating this far more than he was.

With his free hand, he pointed her toward the back of the ship, offering what little movement his limp legs would allow. She'd noticed it before, but he really was frail. Admittedly, Blaze hadn't had to hoist someone along like this before but she reckoned that Gardon, who was two-thirds of Silver's height, likely weighed more than him. As she brought her free arm around his waist her fingers struggled to find his form beneath burlap and matted fur. When she did find his side, providing additional support to aid his walking, she felt ribs through his skin. It was the same thinness, the same starvation evident in his pale muzzle. The majority of his weight seemed to be made up of the cuffs binding his extremities, rather than his body. The remains of a broken chain, hanging from both of his wrists, raised both questions and concerns. No wonder his feet were dragging, no wonder he'd flown everywhere, the set on his ankles were even thicker. The hedgehog hadn't flown to condescend her; he flew because he was in pain.

Just as she recalled his mention of her people in chains, the hedgehog began to speak again. He must have followed her gaze. "We're all bound, but those with strength are given stronger bonds. I managed to break the chains myself but I could never get the wrist parts off," As if to emphasise, he gave his wrist a little shake. "I acted as though my power was weak, I hoped if I did they'd leave me alone, but they just pushed me until I showed them more."

"What did they make you do?" Blaze dared to enquire.

"Build, dig…" He began to explain. "They tried to get me to do a lot of things, but I only really did those two. When all seemed lost you brought down the castle, so there was plenty for me to excavate. I-I tried to do it slowly…"

There was pain in the last of his words; Blaze cursed herself for softening further. "While I am glad I made some form of final stand and loosed one last act of defiance." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She was talking as though she believed him. Well, she did believe him; whether she liked it or not. "You shouldn't have drawn their ire trying to maintain my final effort."

Silver shook his head. "There were a lot of things they wanted in the palace, I never quite understood what or why though. They talked a lot about jewels and emeralds, saying they'd help secure world dominance. I never found any but they were always talking about emeralds, always promising they'd set me free if I found one. I never did but, if I ever did, I'd probably have buried it even deeper."

The mention of emeralds caught more than its share of Blaze's attention and she was about to enquire more when she ears caught the wheeze on his breath, she halted at the cyan light surrounding the ship flickered but quickly returned. The fight had taken most of his stamina but there was a reason that reserve was so low. Not only was he malnourished; he was clearly sick.

"You stole so why not steal food too? Weapons and gold are far more valuable, I assume you'd have no qualms with doing that?" Blaze questioned.

"I-I have from time to time, bits of hardtack and cheese, but," Silver grimaced. "I don't like doing this, I only wanted to steal what I had to. Only what could help those in the future. I wasn't stealing to make myself comfortable, if I stole food it'd go rotten. There's nowhere to keep it on this boat."

There was a difference between being comfortable and healthy but, clearly, this Silver hadn't considered that. Blaze felt another wave of compassion surge through her, she could relate to him in a way she hadn't really related to anyone. He'd taken on this duty without hesitation and fully committed himself to it, working himself to death was stupid, of course, but it was certainly endearing.

Before she could ask more questions, they'd arrived at the ship's cabin.

With the wave of his hand, the door opened. The inside was stripped bare, the inner walls untouched by cyan light, save for a small object near the centre of the room. It looked to be a stone, roughly hexagonal in shape and an inch or two larger than her palm. With a point, a cyan bubble surrounded the rock and brought it up to hover before them.

"I know it doesn't look like much now but when I found it there was a strange light, almost like fire." He reminisced, wheeze hanging on every word. "I figured that meant it was important so I hid it from them, took it with me wherever I went in case they found it. When they had me lift up your ship the stone kind of reacted, the light surrounded both me and boat. We vanished into this weird blue and yellow swirl for a while? I don't know how to really describe it… but we reappeared on an island in the middle of nowhere. Ships passed on their routes and I recognised their symbols from other wrecks I'd pulled up. It took me a while but I eventually pieced it all together."

Blaze plucked the stone from his aura and immediately felt a bizarre sense of familiarity. Its shape was similar to a set of emeralds she knew and Silver's tale lined up with stories she'd heard; the colouration and texture were wrong though. Drawing the claw of her right thumb, she scratched along its black surface. Black, rock-like, dust was freed by her scraping. She had brought down the castle, or so Silver had said, but perhaps that wasn't all she'd done.

"Close your eyes Silver, I'm going to try something."

Once he complied, she set the hand wielding the emerald alight; engulfing the stone in bright orange flames. The response was immediate; what looked to be tar or rock of some nature, was quickly melted away to reveal a vibrant purple beneath. Her assumption had been confirmed confirmed; as the filth was purged a reliquary was revealed. The sight filled her with equal measures of awe and dread.

"Silver, you did find one of the emeralds," She revealed, indicating that he should reopen his eyes. "But this goes against so much of what I know. The emeralds are inert, fables surround them but they've been sealed away for hundreds of years. There has been no reason to call upon them, no cause great enough to draw them out."

"But that means no one has checked on them, right? Maybe something changed and they've started working again?" He questioned.

"The Sol Emeralds only have power during times of crisis. They are a collection of seven reliquaries, capable of performing extraordinary feats of magic. They last showed their power during Percival the First's rule. When her parents were assassinated and she was left to rule alone, a child of only seven years, they aided in her protection; losing their power as she herself grew more powerful," Blaze exposited before turning back to him. "Do you understand what this is? What this means?"

"Not really, you said a lot of really big words, I-I... I really don't know what a reliquary is," He seemed to perk up a little though, a small smile forming as he pointed toward the stone. "That's a Sol emerald though and it's important, right? I got that much. They work in times of crisis and the kingdom being in ruin must have counted as one of those times?"

"You've understood the essentials, this more than proves your story to be true," She briskly walked him from the cabin and back onto the deck, the gravity of the situation still impacting her. "We must depart for my ship and make haste toward the palace."

"Y-You might be able to depart, I can't," Silver's denial forced her to take pause. "I mean, what about the plunder? If I leave this ship, everything will sink to the bottom of the ocean. Some of it might survive but the gunpowder won't and things will start rusting," He described. "And what about everyone in the future, without that stone, I can't get back to them!"

"You told me that my kingdom will fall; that my people will suffer and the skeleton of my castle will be defiled by a tyrant, lusting for weapons of war. I will not let that happen. It is my duty, both as princess and guardian, to protect my people." Blaze thoroughly explained, not daring to waste a word. "I will put your information to good use and prevent this disaster, be it through the defence of my kingdom or caging this puppeteer and slaying his monster. But, with you by my side, I think we can undo this tragedy rather than heal it in post." She continued, throwing him a glance. "You have stolen much from me over these past months but the righteousness of your cause has swayed me."

"Swayed you?" Silver's head tilted, confusion spread across his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You will not be taken to the gallows, instead…" Blaze hesitated. She was dealing with a crisis but, simultaneously, dealing with a person the likes of which she never had before. One who called her by her name and thought her curse was a blessing. Her mind and heart were at war. "Instead you will stay with me, no matter how long this campaign lasts; I want you by my side," Clearly oblivious, he blinked at her. Blaze couldn't maintain her stare; she finally tore her gaze from his gangly frame. "Y-You're so naïve, must I be blunt with you?"

"I think I would appreciate it?" He gulped, very much unfazed by their situation.

"This is most unorthodox, I-I wish to take you…" She scrambled for the right words. "A-As a companion," That term was close, but not quite what she meant. "A partner of sorts, t-to aid me in preventing this travesty. You have acted to protect my people, so I will protect you from the stockade."

"You mean like friends?" He bluntly inquired, "I've not really had many friends, but they're supposed to help each other; aren't they? So if you want to help me and I want to help you…"

Friendship had no place in a princes' life, she'd specifically worded her proposal to avoid that term, but having met the hedgehog's bright yellow eyes; Blaze couldn't refute his offer. "If that is how you'd prefer to word it, yes."

"I think I'd like that a lot," A smile managed to break across his muzzle. "I haven't really had any friends, just people I've met and been separated from. To think my first would be someone so incredible, it's amazing!"

Feeling that heat on her face again, Blaze tried to press on and ignore his embarrassing words. "Are you strong enough for one return trip, to lift me to my ship then pull me back? I need to announce our plan to my crew."

"I-I don't think so, not while keeping The Sunflower afloat," Silver admitted, the weakened glow of his hands acting as proof. "I could sail closer to your ship though? Get you within leaping distance, or shouting distance at the very least?"

The feline allowed herself a small smile. "That will do nicely, thank you."

Blaze felt him shift slightly, the wind began to catch her fur and she heard the ship groan as it began to glide across the water. Soon the fog obscured her vision and the sound of Gardon panicking found her ears, loudening with each passing second. The old man was clearly panicking, he'd be glad to see her in one piece but before that, Blaze gave her new friend another glance. Though Silver claimed he could do this much, even through the fog, Blaze could see that his eyes were clenched shut and his hands were balled. She'd have to stay here with him, prepared to grab him and leap if his power ran out.

Regardless, before he fell, she wanted to say some final words to him. "Silver?"

"Y-Y-Yes?" He was clearly struggling to talk, overwhelmed by psychic strain.

"I'll do all I can to make this right," She promised, hoisting him a little higher and thus bearing more of his weight. "Your efforts won't be for nought, I will defend my kingdom."

"I-I'm far from done Blaze," Tired as he was, steely determination returned to his voice. His tone wasn't dissimilar to when he'd made his demands. "We'll make this right, together," The feline tightened her grip on him.

She'd found an ally, one she already trusted unlike any she'd made prior, but the guardian doubted her care alone would shield him. His power would prove useful, his knowledge and kindness would too, but the curse affixed to his hands would draw prying eyes and dangerous parties. Rumours would swirl like a maelstrom, engulfing both her and the hedgehog. Blaze knew she would have to hide him from her own people; if they'd fear her for embracing her powers then they'd surely fear his blessing.

This wasn't going to be easy, sneaking him into the castle would be difficult (let alone keeping him safe and hidden there), but Blaze was determined to help her new companion. As the ghost-ship drew closer to its past counterpart, the many mysteries this venture had uncovered started to nag at the princess. Who was this puppet master and where had they come from, how had they overwhelmed the entirety of her armada and when would they strike? Were her people in danger now or did they have a few more years to prepare? Only one thing was certain, the moment her feet touched the shore she would start preparing. Her words couldn't be mere consolation, Silver's efforts wouldn't be for nought; they were going to make this right.


	32. PurrPurr

The warm caress of sunrise daylight had successfully breached the royal bedchamber, arriving to stroke the cheek of a certain purple feline and coax her toward the land of the living. Blaze the Cat, now the queen of Sol, was gently roused from the most restful night she'd had in almost ten weeks. For the first time in months, she felt refreshed; she'd slept undisturbed. Still, a few more minutes wouldn't hurt.

She nuzzled deeper into her pillow; comfortable in the knowledge that she was still on leave, but her eyes slowly opened when she noticed something was missing. Her husband wasn't in bed beside her; she'd reached across to pull his fluffy form closer only to find the sheets were empty. Suddenly, her good sleep made a lot more sense; it hadn't been down to luck. Silver was off making sure she'd sleep well, he'd probably been working for hours now. While, on one hand, she was sure he'd be glad she was relishing his effort; Blaze knew it was kinder to rise and help him with their task. The hedgehog was trying his hardest to be good at this, he'd been gentle and genuine and helpful for the past ten months, but her responsibility matched his. She'd recovered enough resume returning his selflessness. Blaze was sure that he would protest her efforts, he'd insist that she could have more sleep, but if she didn't start acting now then Blaze was certain she'd get too used to his charity.

With a yawn and a stretch, Blaze managed to pry herself from beneath the covers. She was still a little sore but, all things considered, she felt markedly better than she had the past few weeks. Her old shirts were still much too small of her but she hadn't expected to rapidly revert overnight, besides; Silver's shirts were remarkably comfortable, his taller frame left them more than sufficiently baggy. She did debate whether to change before leaving, walking around in a tie-die teal t-shirt and baggy black shorts wasn't the best look, but Blaze quickly remembered that she wasn't living in the palace anymore. They were on the edge of the grounds, in their new family home. She was allowed to dress improperly, she could roam the halls however she wanted and no one would complain. Reaching for her nightstand, she took a drink of water before grabbing a bobble and pulling her hair into a semi-respectable ponytail. She rolled her neck and arched her back before fully turning and stepping out of bed, greeting the new carpet good morning. She wasn't quite used to it all yet, but she was certain she'd get there.

The royal bedchambers had changed a lot the past months, going from the large room in a castle to a sizeable room within a large (split-level) house. The cyan walls of her palace-bedroom remained but new pictures and posters had been hung up. They were simplistic maps of the islands and historical pieces but, garish as she thought some of them, Blaze knew they'd be important in the long run. Their bookshelves were no longer stacked with historical and political books, the likes Silver had read both before and after becoming king, instead, books on nutrition and what to expect lined the walls.

Blaze made her way from her room to the hall, slowing her pace as she approached the room her partner was surely within. On her way, her eyes caught a picture of Amy and Sonic; a fair few wedding photos had been collaged in a large, multi-windowed, picture frame. She couldn't help musing that it wouldn't be long before they experienced what she has, it'd surely be harder for them to stay pinned down and endure those sleepless nights. Regardless, the pink hedgehog was certain it'd be worth it in the end; just as the purple feline was.

She arrived outside a white, wooden, door; left just slightly askew. More than a little curious, rather than walking in, she pressed her ear to the door. The time traveller was being quiet, clearly trying to be gentle, but she could make out a few sounds. Silver was humming, not quite a song (the noise was too infrequent and gentle for that) but a single, repeated, sound as he gently paced across the room. Beneath his noise though, every so often, Blaze heard gentle mewing and a quiet rumbling.

It was only as she went to enter, being as delicate and quiet as she could, that Blaze heard a slightly louder meow. The sound was quickly muffled by more of Silver's odd humming and a phrase Blaze hadn't expected to hear again, "It's okay little Purrpurr. It's okay, Daddy's here and he's not going anywhere…"

Ever so gently, she pushed her way into the room. Everything was in its place; the cot lay empty in the room's left corner (a mobile of the solar system hanging above), the toy chest sat closed beside it and the room's small fan sat turned off atop a bedside cabinet filled with baby clothes. None of these things held her attention like him though. Silver was stood near the centre of the room, heavy black bags marked the muzzle beneath his eyes and the hedgehog's quills were contorted at all sorts of ludicrous angles. It was clear he'd hardly slept; he'd been far to busy tending the bundle he was carrying. There, in his arms, was their baby; Heather, as they'd recently decided to name her, not Purrpurr as he'd just called her. Sunlight was gently filtering into the room, weaving through the holes in the blinds to bathe the pair in gold.

The psychic caught her eye contact as she entered the room, giving her a tired grimace of regret. He called across to her in a hushed tone, "Sorry, did we wake you?"

Blaze closed the gap between them, quietly padding across the carpeted floor, and started to whisper back, "No, you were wonderful Silver. I suppose I've just gotten used to a light sleep."

Her gaze left his eyes, tumbling to the bundle in his arms. Heather was having a rather fitful sleep, wriggling and kicking and mewing almost constantly. Despite her behaviour, Blaze couldn't help thinking that she looked adorable. Her pastel purple fur was still tufty and messy, both filling her ears and flaring from the tips of them, and her tail seemed to have a mind of its own; lashing out and attempting to curl around the back of his hand. She kept reaching out with her stubby little fingers, kneading and tugging at her dad's fluffy with all of her sleeping strength. With every pull, the green symbols on her hands would pulse just a little brighter than the green onesie she wore.

"She's just a little sleep-cranky, I've tried everything," Silver admitted, biting back a yawn. Blaze's eyes returned to his tired face, "Well, when I arrived she needed changing so I dealt with that but, even though she fell back to sleep, she's just been a little…"

The queen had always thought Silver's power was useful, but baby changing had proved to be a natural application of it; saving them both so much disgust. Fatherhood truly suited the white hedgehog, she'd assumed it would but he'd surpassed her expectations. They were both overprotective people, they'd been overprotective of each other, and now that defensiveness was being extended to their child. If she had a problem, no matter how small, he'd spend hours trying to solve it; trying to trick Heather into eating healthier or even just trying to make the baby smile.

Another loud mew sounded, interrupting Blaze's train of thought, and her husband immediately reacted. He leaned down closer to the kitten, bundling her against his chest, and started to hum that strange tone she'd overheard. Now that she was up close though, the guardian could see what he was doing. Silver was pretending to purr to the little kitten, breathing out and letting his lips flutter. Heather's response was almost immediate; the kitten froze for a moment before shifting onto her back, nuzzling the back of her head into his arms and unleashing purrs of her own.

"See little Purrpurr, it's alright. Mamma's here now too," He quickly yet quietly told her, trying to keep up his fake purring.

Was it a little silly? Yes, it undoubtedly was; the face he pulled trying to purr was more than a little ridiculous, but Blaze felt her heart swell. Before she could even realise what she was doing, the motherly feline had started to purr; unleashing a long, rolling, hum from the depths of her chest. Heather's response was immediate, urged on by her mother's own purrs, her rumbling grew far louder; almost sounding like a throaty roar. The tiny feline turned her back to her father and leaned toward Blaze's repeated sound, it was as though she was attempting to synchronise their rumbles.

Blaze reached out a finger and Heather immediately seized it, wielding all the might her stubby fingers would allow. Heat was radiating from the princess' palms, hot enough that even the pyrokinetic could feel. That temperature couldn't compare to the warmth growing in Blaze's chest as she found herself drawing closer and allowing their child to have her way in this feeble tug-of-war.

"I think she wants her Mamma," Silver conceded, unable to hide the slight regret in his voice. The hedgehog clearly wanted to keep watching his little ball of fluff and warmth, but the longer she looked at him the bigger the bags beneath his eyes looked and the clearer his fight against yawning became, "If you're sure you don't want to go back to bed, do you want to…" Blaze nodded, Silver leaned down to their baby, "Alright Purpur, Mamma's going to hold you now. This'll only take a moment."

Ever so gently, Blaze reached into Silver's arms; slipping a hand around and beneath the baby. There was a brief moment of discomfort, a few mews of protest, but as the larger feline resumed her purring the smaller was quelled and quickly found spots to nuzzle and kneed her mother. The tiny, pastel-purple, feline resumed her cacophonous purring. It was no wonder that Silver had come up with such a silly title for their daughter, after all; she was little, purple and constantly purring.

"You keep calling her Purrpurr instead of Heather," Blaze jokingly chided between her purrs, watching as the princess wriggled and nipped.

"Y-Yeah," He sheepishly admitted, absentmindedly stroking the back of the fuzzy feline's head.

She managed to tear her eyes from the bairn to watch her husband squirm, "Do you not like the name Heather, or…?"

"No, Heather's the perfect name for her. I love it, it's just…" He seemed to struggle for the right words, tiredness was impacting his mind just as it was the rest of his body, "When she starts purring I can't help myself, I have to say it. She's just… my little Purrpurr. My little purple purring kitten…"

Nicknames weren't common between them. They'd tried a few at the very start of their relationship, mostly because they thought they were supposed to, but they'd rather quickly petered out. The only remnant of them was her ever so rarely teasing him, calling him Silvy whenever she knew he was getting hot under the collar. It was surprising that this nickname had stuck so strongly and, of course, it was incredibly naïve; they were supposed to call her Heather so that she'd properly understand what her name was. Using nicknames could confuse her.

Despite this though, regardless of how silly and foolish the term was, as Blaze watched his eyes trail down to their kitten she couldn't help drinking in his expression. He was being so gentle. It wasn't that the hedgehog was incapable of gentleness (far from it, in fact, that softness had been a beacon of hope to her when they lived in crisis city) but she could tell he was trying especially hard to be especially tender. Despite the bags between his eyes, his gaze was so compassionate and warm. Her every movement was so important to him, from the rise and fall of her tiny belly to her sleeping flails to the slight wrinkling of her nose as she unleashed her nasally purrs. His ears would shift in response to her every sound and his smile would briefly strengthen, perfectly timed with the sleeping hum of her purr.

They'd come from a world rife with hardship, him doubly so, and to see him like this, so peaceful and serene, was almost too much for her heart to handle.

Quite unable to help herself, though she'd intended to chastise him a little more, Blaze leaned over the baby between them and planted a kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, still vigorously purring, s phrase she so often uttered fell from her lips, "You're still so naïve…"

Before the gap between them could return, the hedgehog's forehead pressed against hers as he began to gently nuzzle, "And you're so soft…" More yawns tried to breach his lips but he refused to grant them passage, his weary eyes closed but his jaws clamped shut. He quickly wiped his eyes, returning his attention to both her and their baby; gently rubbing beneath the child's chin, "She's just like you."

"Well, she got her fluffiness from somewhere," Blaze reminded him, returning his touch with nuzzles of her own, "She has your eyes too."

He could only affirmatively hum in response, soon resuming his version of a purr. His gentle head rubs slowed to a stop, she heard his breathing slow and watched as his eyes closed again. It wasn't prompted by a yawn this time, just his own tiredness. Silver wasn't a particularly heavy sleeper but the ten weeks since Heather's birth had been tough on them both, it seemed she needed constant affection and didn't much care about their sleep schedules. They'd tried keeping her in their room but it was attention the youngster craved rather than their mere presence. If anything, that'd made her cry out more because they were just out of reach. Naive selflessness was key to Silver's very being but Blaze knew when to put her foot down, he wasn't allowed to work himself ragged; not on her watch.

"I'll look after PurrPurr, you get some more sleep," Before he could whisper in protest, she made a quick addendum, "We're not changing her name but, I suppose, there's no real harm in you calling her that. We'll just have to find other ways to reinforce her name."

"But I promised her I wouldn't leave…" He sleepily protested, eyes opening as he gently swirled one of the many fur tufts that crowned the tiny puss' head.

Regardless of how weak his argument was, the armour around Blaze's heart had been reduced to putty by an adorable show of father-daughter affection and his puppy-dog eyes were piercing her core. A sigh slipped from her lips, breaking her string of purrs for only a second, "Go get a chair and the duvet then, you can stay but I want you to sleep. You look awful."

A yawn finally escaped his lips and sleepy tears filled the corner of his eyes. Despite a deep breath, he managed to roughly sound out; "You look wonderful."

"You're not getting out of it that easily, get going," Blaze insisted before looking down to the swaddle in her arms, "You'll be fine without Daddy for a minute or two, won't you?"

Heather, as if responding to Blaze's words, briefly stirred from her sleep. She blinked tiredly at the pair of them and unleashed a longer, louder, mew (perhaps asking for quiet) before snuggling deeper into her mother's warm arms. Regardless of what the small cat meant, it proved more than sufficient to set him at ease. She watched his smile grow even warmer as he resumed his nuzzling. The hedgehog said his, incredibly temporary, goodbyes; unleashing his poor mimicry of purring with maximum gusto. Blaze couldn't stop herself, she matched his affection; her purr grew to fill the room as a smile overcame her face.

Bathed in the glow of the sunrise and warmed by the bundle between their arms; Blaze hadn't believed that they'd make it this far, that they'd get to live a peaceful life, but she was overjoyed that they finally were. They were finally secure, finally safe to live the life they'd longed for. The little cat in her arms, whether he called her Heather or Purrpurr, would always remind Blaze of that truth.


	33. What We Could Be

This wasn't the first time Blaze had found herself in this position and it certainly wouldn't be the last. She was sitting on a dusty old bed, to be specific; she was sat in the medical room with a large gash on her collar while Silver was panicking, trying to help her. The hedgehog was rummaging through boxes, upturning medical kits and scrounging whatever equipment he thought might be useful for treating her. The feline had taken a hit trying to defend him, flaming bats had rushed the pair and Silver had been ill-prepared to defend himself. Leaping into the fray was always dangerous but when given the choice between an injured Silver and the dull throbbing she felt in her shoulder, Blaze would always chose the hedgehog's safety.

He'd already gathered a basin of water, a basin she'd submerged her hand in and began to boil, but that clearly wasn't enough to sate him. Medical supplies, for the most part, have shelf-lives, antiseptic creams harden into sludge and pain killers lose their effect, so living in the post-apocalypse meant none of these aids were available. They were lucky to have water even and, to be honest, Blaze though using it to clean her wound was a waste. But he'd been insistent.

She didn't think the wound was even that deep, the bone hadn't broken and it wasn't as though there was much risk of infection; Iblis' monsters were made of fire, the wounds they left practically disinfected themselves. Her injury did, admittedly, look bad though. Blood had reached down to stain the hem of her leggings, stretching across the entire right side of her body to do so. The wound itself was quite large too, it was still obscured by her jacket but the gash stretched from near her shoulder to the midpoint between it and her heart. Blaze understood why he was acting like this, of course she did, but she was anxious about what was to come. He was going overboard and she knew what he was like when he went overboard. As memories of past injures flashed in her mind, Blaze felt her cheeks grow a little redder.

The hedgehog finally rose from his mess, sweaty and clearly dissatisfied. He'd managed to find a few rolls of bandages, a box of plasters and some clothing pins but not the stitching equipment he'd (assumedly) been hoping for. He set the goods down beside her, took another look at her wound and tensed up again.

"Relax Silver, I told you, it only hurts a little," She chided, trying to quell his concern.

"I know, but it looks like it hurts a lot..." Worry still emanated from him, weaselling its way to her core, "You can still move your arm, right?"

Repeating the motion she'd already showed him a few times, Blaze reached out with her right arm and took his hand. Well, in this case she reached out and took the bandages from him. He still didn't look convinced but she knew he wouldn't be until she was fully healed. The sooner she tended herself, the sooner they'd both be able to relax.

"I'll be fine, thank you Silver," She, fruitlessly, attempted to reassure him.

"It's no problem," He smiled, closing what little gap remained between them, "I'll patch you up and then start on dinner."

Of course he wanted to help with bandaging, her temperature rose even higher, "Just go make dinner, I'll do it myself."

"Blaze, it's on your collar. You can't see it properly, let alone bandage it," He, not incorrectly, surmised and suggested.

The feline turned away, refusing to let him sway her, "I can reach it fine Silver, it's not like it's on my back."

"It's okay, I'll be gentle; I promise!" He swore, entirely genuine.

That was the problem though, Blaze knew just how gentle he'd be, "You're making a fuss Silver, I said I could handle it myself so I'll handle it myself."

"I mean... if you're certain..." He wasn't convinced but Blaze knew he wouldn't fight her, "Just call if you need me, I'll wait outside, okay?"

"I won't," From her periphery vision, Blaze saw his face fall, "But if I do, I'll call for you," That didn't feel like enough, her mouth was still filled with words, "I-I promise."

His face brightened, just a little; a smile crept onto his lips, "Alright, if you're really sure," His hand came to pluck at his chest fur, accidentally taunting her, "I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried..."

"If I wasn't, I know you'd look after me," What was she even saying, it was all so embarrassing, her words felt like sludge in her mouth, "I know I can count on you."

Another smile flew her way, before he made his exit Silver shifted a basin onto the bed beside her. Water was such a rarity here, they'd spend days scouring houses to secure such small amounts and even then they had to boil and purify it, make sure it was safe to drink. Blaze knew it was for safety's sake but wasting a whole basin on such a small wound seemed like a waste. He was willing to spend this much to keep her safe and comfortable. She removed her gloves and cupped her hands, submerging them to gather a drink. It was only as she finished her handful that a thought occurred to her. He probably wouldn't have drank before gathering their water, he could be so stupidly selfless. Blaze cupped her hands again, acquiring more water, but this time held her hands to him. Despite the effort, she couldn't hold his gaze.

"H-Here, we shouldn't let it all go to waste. We'll have to collect more in the morning," She'd insisted rather than ask him, as she so commonly did when she felt embarrassed.

Blaze felt his hands on her wrists before, far sooner than she'd expected, she felt his chin brush against his fingertips. Heat spread up her cheeks and onto her ears. In hindsight, she should have just suggested that he take a drink from the basin; she'd simply been too distracted to think rationally, too flighty about his attempts to help her. The hedgehog seemed to take an eternity drinking despite the volume she'd gathered being quite small. The moment he finished her hands returned to the bed, scrunching up the duvet in the contact's wake.

"N-Next time just take some for yourself," What was she even saying? Couldn't she keep herself from chastising him, even just this once? She'd offered him a drink and he'd taken it, it wasn't as if he'd asked to drink from her hands, "You shouldn't dehydrate just because I'm a little hurt."

"I know, I'd just rather make sure that you're safe before worrying about myself," His heart shined, firmly attached to his sleeve, "You're important to me."

"You're so naive," She grumbled, "Go make dinner, I'll be through as soon as I can."

"Just call if you need me," He insisted one last time, "I'll come as quickly as I can."

With that, Silver finally stepped out of the room, Blaze unleashed a sigh as silence claimed her surroundings. The world suddenly felt a lot colder, she immediately missed the light of his eyes and tender energy. Well, the sooner this was done the sooner they could return to normalcy; the sooner they'd be reunited her heart would stop beating so fast.

She began to disrobe, unzipping her jacket to around her midriff and allowing it to fall from her shoulders. Blaze's view of her injury had improved but, admittedly, Silver had been right. Her wound (well, the blood and scabbing that hid her wound) was mostly visible but she couldn't see its entirety. The injury stretched from the edge of her white underbelly upwards and onto her purple fur. That point was beyond clear visibility, if the actual wound stretched that far then she'd really struggle. She'd have to be thorough and broad with her cleaning, otherwise she'd risk missing a spot.

The cloth was quickly rung out; Blaze winced as it made first contact. She scraped down, what she perceived to be, the entire length of her wound in an effort to clean out any residual fluff or grime that had gathered in the gash. Some of her jacket had surely been clawed into her and, though they'd been quick, training had taken them to the far side of the city. Soot hung in the air and on every building, Silver had flown them back but he couldn't have deflected it all. Drawing the rag into her vision, Blaze saw plumes of purple fabric, black speckles and the orange-red hue of watery blood spreading throughout the white mesh. She'd reopened her wound; it throbbed and stung almost as though it were fresh.

Cleaning the cloth and ringing it dry, Blaze couldn't help but let her brows sink down and her teeth clench as she braced to wash more. What little she could see had been soaked but it was hard to remove staining from her underbelly. Even ignoring the red colouration, black speckles and dark purple strings surround the injured site. The feline refused to give up though, resuming and enduring as she cleaned.

She knew that she was being too heavy-handed with herself, pushing blindly in an attempt to thoroughly clean her wound, but it was all she really knew how to do. The feline was tough on herself, she always had been, but she knew someone who wasn't. It was so embarrassing though, she couldn't have sent Silver away more than ten minutes ago; the hedgehog had likely started to make dinner. Blaze returned her cloth to her shoulder again but winced and hissed at the contact, trying to do this blindly had been foolish. Diluted blood was starting to stain her hands; she rinsed the cloth again but the water was starting to darken. At this rate she'd actually waste it all.

Blaze tried to regain some modesty, pulling her jacket up as far as it would allow, but the fluff of her white underbelly had to stay partially exposed. With some effort, Blaze managed to hide everything beyond her right oxter. She cupped a hand to her mouth and turned to the door.

"Silver?" She barely shouted, still much too embarrassed.

Despite her quietness, he immediately responded, "Do you need help Blaze?"

A sigh escaped her throat and her cheeks puffed up, "...Y-Yes."

The white hedgehog quickly returned to the room, as his eyes fell upon her the feline couldn't look at him. He was being so casual, far more bothered by her injury than her state of mild undress.

"I-It's a little more sensitive than I thought, do you think you could..." She held out the cloth to him, Silver took it without a second thought.

"I promised to be gentle," He gently reminded her, leaning down, "Let me know if it hurts, okay?"

Blaze could only manage a nod in response, prying her gaze from him and towards the ceiling, "Just... do it, please."

Silver seemed to immediately find a patch that she'd missed, evidently the stain stretched far further than she'd anticipated. Lukewarm water was rubbed into the fur of her neck, it didn't hurt but it did hammer home just how foolish it was to try and bandage herself alone. This had been inevitable.

The wound still ached from her scrubbing but Silver's touch was like silk. No matter how critical she was of herself, no matter how rough, Silver would find a way to be gentle. He was cleaning around the edges first, diligently wiping away what remained of her dried blood before slowly working his way inwards. His right hand came to gently hold her back, it was to help him accurately yet softly tend her but it certainly stoked the flames of her embarrassment. By the time he'd started to work on the wound, having rung out the towel no more than three times, Blaze could feel herself sweating.

Moments like this were difficult; they reminded her of what was and what could be. As his hands gently caressed her fur, intent not only on cleaning her wound but making her comfortable, Blaze found her mind drifting. He was so close, leant down yet still a little over a head taller than her. Her fists balled against the sheets; if she were braver, she'd pull him closer here and now, envelop him in her arms and properly thank him for helping her. But she wasn't brave enough, let alone gentle enough to commit to such an act.

Blaze pried her eyes from him but the bare blue walls of the medical-room couldn't pull her attention away from him, come to think of it; nothing in their makeshift-house could. Nowadays home was a small Youth Hostel near the city centre, its yellow and blue paintwork had started to crack but the building itself was in good condition. The doors were thick and heavy, making them much easier to barricade, and (with the exception of the living room) their current home had no windows. Of course, being a hostel, the building had plenty of rooms; while they currently sat in the makeshift infirmary they'd also constructed a pantry, a washroom and a library. You'd think that they'd each have their own bedroom and thus their own beds but, for reasons Blaze didn't dare admit, the feline slept better whenever she lay with the hedgehog.

That last thought was making it even more difficult to look at him yet, simultaneously, much more difficult not to. She caught his ear out of the corner of her eye; his quills were still in their bedraggled, post-battle, state. Maybe she'd find the nerve to neaten them later but, for now, Blaze stomach was bouncing around and her mind was racing to catch it. She was trying her hardest to ignore him, to let him do his job but Blaze found herself sneaking nigh constant glances at the hedgehog. Something about the way he was holding her, despite the nature of his task, was almost... comforting. She didn't want to admit it, but Blaze was almost enjoying this.

It was a strange kind of comfort, almost sick or sadistic. Her wound was still throbbing but that feeling was being muffled by mere juvenile infatuation. It was childish, foolish and entirely preposterous; they were partners, companions even; they cared for the other more than they cared for themselves. This wasn't supposed to be intimate; Silver was dressing her wounds, he'd before and he surely would again. Hell, she'd done it before and she'd undoubtedly do it again; it was normal, typical. Yet, as she caught his eyes worriedly flickering between her eyes and her injury, Blaze couldn't deny that there was a tension between them.

No matter how she pleaded with herself, Blaze couldn't crush the fluttering in her chest. He was always so gentle with her; he'd display his softer side without fear or hesitation if it'd make her just a little more comfortable. The hedgehog tried to be tough, he wanted to be so much stronger than he was, but when they weren't fighting Silver's true nature rose to the surface. He was many things, irrationally dedicated, loyal to a fault, quick to trust and incredibly naive, but at his core the psychic was kind-hearted and caring. Fixing the world wasn't about him; of course he wanted to see a blue sky but he wanted that for everyone, he wanted everyone to have hope and be able to live peacefully. He wanted her to live peacefully and to be safe; he'd always stressed that.

Blaze had tried her hardest to avoid dissecting her feelings, fearing their analysis might expose her to some further forbidden knowledge, but when he tended to her like this she fully understood. He made her feel cared for in a world where one should only care for themselves, his contact told her that she cared about him far more than she felt she could tell him and, most importantly, his gentle endeavours made Blaze wish she was gentler. Silver made her wish she could convey what she felt even if she couldn't speak it.

She couldn't help chiding him whenever her feelings grew too strong; she so often claimed that he was naive but that claim came from her own inexperienced. No matter how often he showed her his softer side, Blaze struggled to manifest her own. The feline knew that her heart wasn't made of stone, her stomach wouldn't be doing backflips if she was uncaring, but whenever these feelings flared up it was as though she'd been petrified.

"Blaze?" His words cut through her thoughts and pulled her back to reality, "Am I hurting you? You feel a little tense..."

Silver had hesitated; his hands were still on her shoulders. Contact like this was practically sacred in this city of hell, so unfathomably rare and cherished above all else. People weren't meant to hold each other like this, let alone look after each other like this. Her heart wasn't meant to be beating like this.

The feline turned away, a sigh slipping her lips as she struggled to blow off his worry, "You're not, you're doing..." Now was a chance to return his kindness, even if she couldn't look him in the eye she had to say something, "Fine."

As that word escaped from Blaze's lips, her self-loathing came to a head. Who was she kidding, she couldn't return-

His hands suddenly shifted, his fingers had caught her chin and gently turned her to look back at him, "I know you're strong but you feel pain just like everyone else does. If this hurts then I'll try to find another way, I don't want to hurt you."

"Silver..." Even while he was being so tender, the hedgehog was scared he was being too harsh while he was being so gentle. His fingers didn't leave her face, their prior position was already too intimate; contact like this was just too much. Blaze felt the warmth in her chest explode onto her face, "Y-You're doing fine, Silver! You're not hurting me at all, just..." She scrambled for the right words, "I'm still not used to such a delicate touch. Th-Thank you."

"It's no problem Blaze, I'm just looking after you like you look after me," He beamed, not remotely understanding. Well, it wasn't like she was being obvious.

"You're so naive," She'd built up enough strength to turn away, again pushing aside his hand. Despite that shift, her eyes still feel upon him, "If there's an issue I-I'll say, I promise."

"Thank you," A small smile managed to crawl across his lips but his eyes were still clearly concerned. His hand lowered from as he returned to cleaning her, "You're my partner, just like you're supposed to look after me, it's my job to look after you. If I'm hurting you then I'm doing it wrong."

He'd stressed their partnership again; the kinship she currently held in her grasp and fearfully longed to tear to shreds. From the scraps of their bond something greater might grow but, in truth, Blaze was scared the effort would fail. If she lost him then she would have nothing, this old building wasn't her home; Silver was home. He was safety, he was warmth, he was tenderness and all that the world seemed to lack; he was everything that she struggled to be yet he made her long to be those things.

His fingers were plying at her collarbone again; he'd finished wiping her gash and moved on to bandaging. From her awkward position, now that the blood was cleared, Blaze found that she had been correct; the actual wound couldn't be much longer than her middle finger. It was an awkward position to wrap though, both because it was finicky and because of the nature of that location. There was no getting around it; this endeavour was just as intimate.

It wasn't as though he hadn't seen her like this before, partially disrobed and bashful, they lived together and tended each other after all. There was just something in the air tonight, a pressure she couldn't help assuming that he didn't feel. The pressure began to push purrs from her chest but she quickly smothered them. Well, she tried to smother them.

He decided to wrap upward, beneath her armpit and around her collarbone, leaning in closer still as he bound around her back. She could smell the day's battle on him, sweat and smoke was such a common scent to her but it still drew her full attention. Oftentimes their aroma would overlap, they'd lie together and their scents would be jumbled, but in moments like this he was distinct to her. His chest fur caught her eyes as he leaned in, knotted and dirtied. She'd often catch herself playing with it as they were drifting off, undoing the tugs in it and softening that patch until it was fully smooth. Bringing it this close was almost taunting her, he was being so gentle; caressing that patch was the ideal way to return the favour.

Yet her hands refused to leave the bed, it was as though they'd turned to stone and locked her in place. When he finished his gentle task she still hadn't acted, she'd completely failed. Once again, he'd been so tender with her while she could only sit and watch.

"Is it comfortable?" Silver innocently asked, seemingly unaware of the turmoil inside her head.

Blaze managed to roll her shoulder, "Yes, thank you Silver," Her vision fell to the carpet, "I'm sorry that I worried you. I should have let you help from the start."

"You were looking out for me Blaze, you got hurt defending me, I should be thanking you," The pyrokinetic couldn't help thinking that his smile looked warmer than any fire she could conjure and yet, still, her hands refused to leave the mattress. She couldn't reach out and hug him, "I'll go start on dinner; you get some rest, okay?"

"I'm fine Silver, really," She tried to insist but her heart was weak to his big yellow eyes. He had such sway over her, he didn't even know it, "But alright."

He smiled at her one last time and turned to make his way out of the room, granting her a full view of something she'd entirely missed. There was a wound on the small of Silver's back. He was hurt too.

Her hands were torn from the bed, she spoke without hesitation, "Silver, you're injured. What happened?"

"Huh? I am?" The hedgehog half turned to her, stopping in his tracks.

"There's a cut on your back," She quickly informed him, pointing, "Does it hurt?"

"I don't even feel it, am I bleeding?" Silver blinked, blindly patting his back in search of the scab and trying to look over his shoulder.

Well, he wasn't quite bleeding but he clearly had been at some point. The graze had been small enough to close on its own, likely staunched by his fur, but Blaze could see the aftermath. There was a red splotch in his fur and a, small, crusty line where he had been cut. The mark couldn't be longer than her pinky and it couldn't be wider than her thumb but it'd given Blaze an opening. This was her chance to return his kindness!

"How naive, babying me while you were injured," No! That wasn't right, that wasn't good enough! She had to be gentle with him, "S-Sit down!" She practically growled at him.

Despite her idiocy, Silver did as was asked of him. He sat beside her on the bed, facing her as if she'd asked reasonably, "Does it look bad? I really can't feel it."

"Give me a moment," She shuffled back, shifting near the centre of the bed and behind him.

Now freed from his embarrassing gaze, Blaze managed a small sigh. It was no wonder she hadn't noticed before; his quills were a mess, the back pair had frayed very badly and was masking the first two-thirds of his back. She reached out, easing them aside and revealing his back. Even now that it was revealed, Blaze couldn't determine the size of his wound. If it was from today then it had occurred early on in their training session; the blood had dried and affixed to his fur, making a mixture of rusty-orange and black stain in his fur. If the mark was that big then the wound had to be smaller, it likely bordered on being insignificant, but...

"I can't tell how big it is. I'm going to clean it off," Blaze decided, determined to return at least a fraction of his affection, "If this stings just say."

"Oh, alright. Thank you Blaze," He responded, still entirely unaware, "Does it look bad?"

"I think you're fine, I just..." She couldn't bring herself to admit her irrational actions, "Want to make sure, it's better to be safe than sorry."

She swore there was a smile on the edge of his muzzle, her eyes quickly flickered to the bedsheets as she blindly fumbled her way to the basin. Finding the cloth, she rang it dry as she tried to steady herself. Now that she'd started there was no stopping; she had to tend him just like he had tended her.

Her free hand, her left hand, found his shoulder; her forearm pushed his quills aside. She tried to keep her grasp gentle, first dabbing around the stain's edge before slowly working her way inward. It wouldn't take much to wash away the blood and dirt, he hadn't bled that much. Unsure whether she was or would hurt him, unwilling to cause him even the slightest pain, Blaze found herself being reflexively tender. That wasn't to say she wasn't trying to be gentle of course, every movement was wipe and swab was calculated, but this was an unnatural tenderness. It didn't take long for her left hand to drift. Without a word she let it slip down to hold his collarbone. Her fingertips found themselves in the scruff of his fur, gently swirling that excess fluffiness before taking a stronger grip.

It didn't take long to clean him up (Blaze, admittedly, spent longer washing his back than she really needed to) and reveal his injury. The cut was tiny, no longer than the tip of her thumb and only half as wide. To her, it looked more like he'd tripped and hit his back on something than had it sliced by one of Iblis' minions. It wouldn't take long to heal; as long as they managed to eat he'd be fine.

What was she going to do next though? Could she really justify plastering such a tiny wound? Was this the end of her gentleness? The fluttering in her chest didn't want it to be, she didn't want it to be. She hadn't proved nearly enough. If it was a waste, then it would be a purposeful one.

"Pass me the bandages," She finally managed to ask but she couldn't bring herself to lie, "It looks fine but I want to keep you safe. I won't let it get infected."

Even though she'd managed to be gentle, her bedside manner was still atrocious; it sounded like she was reprimanding him. Regardless of that though, Silver complied; a roll of bandages was passed over his shoulders and she caught sight of his face. His eyes were still so bright and his expression was so very gentle, a small smile that read as a thank you for helping him... not that there was actually all that much to help with. Still, it made her successful effort feel that little bit more special and gave her a drive to excel at this pointless endeavour.

As he turned back around though, she realised how long they'd held eye contact. Her blush returned, she caught her tail to keep it from lashing and couldn't help but curse beneath her breath. He wasn't feeling any of this, she was almost sure of it. She had to be gentle, she had to be intimate and she had to show that she cared. Blaze bit her lip, unrolled the bandage and prepared to work.

His fur was so inviting. As Blaze considered the length she needed, she couldn't help but draw closer and change their position ever so slightly. Rather than kneel behind him, Blaze allowed her thighs to part and her knees to shift just beyond his behind; if she so desired, she could pull him backwards and into a hug. Well, she did desire that, it was a matter of whether she could act on that desire. The intent of this position was to look over his shoulder and at her work, to knot the bandages properly (or so she told herself). Curiously though, this change in her position did prompt a change in Silver's disposition. As she drew close, her warm breath likely reaching him, she watched as his shoulders stiffened and swore she saw him half-glance back at her.

Trying not to dwell on that change for too long, the feline got comfortable and stretched the bandage to its correct length; long enough to be taught around his centre but not uncomfortably tight. The bandage was placed over the tiny scab and her hands found his hips. She leaned in, bringing her head to hang over his shoulder, and granting her a full view of his body. Blaze didn't dare look at his face, the distance couldn't be more than a handful of centimetres. Instead, she focused on gently fulfilling her task; the end of the roll in one hand and the roll itself in the other.

The backs of her fingers gently glided through his fur, bringing the white fabric with them. His fluff was soft to the touch, deserving of all the delicacy Blaze could muster. With as gentle a hand as she could manage, she began to bind his body. The bandage looped around his midsection, her fingertips dragged through his fur and (far faster than she'd hoped) the bandage looped its way around his body. Well, she still had more than enough length of bandage; Blaze opted to circle his body a second time. She aimed a little higher this time, drawing the linen half-over the initial line and allowing it to cross his belly again. This world was so rough but everything about him was soft, his fur was far from immaculate but she couldn't help loving the feeling of his overgrown fluff dragging against her silky fur. Whenever her fingers passed over a scar, new or old, she took a moment to pause atop it and gently caress it with her fingertips. He had so many but she knew them all so well.

Throughout the entire endeavour, it was as though Silver was frozen. His breath had hitched, she felt his body tense as her arms wrapped around him and her fingers danced through his fur. He had to be feeling what she so often felt; she hoped he'd realised how much she cherished him.

Two bindings were all she could justify though, any more than that and he'd surely notice her stalling. Well, maybe not but she'd already wasted far too many materials on a very insignificant injury. With a swipe of her claws the roll was cut, Blaze began to securely bind the bandage but tried to keep a light hand while doing so. The material was fastened near his right hip, a gentle tug made sure the dressing was properly tight.

Swaddling him had been fun, she felt that she'd shown some gentleness at the very least, but something about it all felt anticlimactic. The feline remained behind him, pulling back and allowing her fingers to trace around the rim of the gauze and arrive at the small of his back once again. Her gaze finally returned to his quills, they were still so unkempt.

Before Blaze could question what she was doing, her hands had left his back and found their way to his quills. She didn't have a brush to hand but that didn't seem to stop her, her fingers found the base of his quills and she began to stroke them back into their proper places. Her impromptu grooming seemed to surprise him, she felt a shiver run down his spine, but he held still and allowed her to do as he pleased. Eventually, as she found herself leaning into her work, Blaze couldn't help noticing that a pink hue had climbed to the tip of his ears and that his tail was slowly wagging. It was relaxing, the more she tended him the easier this all seemed. There wasn't some grand transformation in her demeanour, it wasn't as though Blaze was no longer herself, she was simply... relaxed. Hidden from his eyes, working quietly, she'd managed to achieve a gentleness she'd never thought possible. It wasn't as much as she'd hoped but it was an undeniable start; it was reactionary gentleness.

A clawed hand drifted down to find the hedgehog's chest fur, that soft fluff deserved to be groomed just as his quills did. She leaned further forward, burying her forehead against the back of his head. Words accidentally spiralled from her lips, "If you won't take better care of yourself then I will. You deserve the same tenderness that you show me..." Purrs were bubbling from her chest again, her hands stopped moving as she came to simply hold him. She sighed and honesty floated to the surface, "You deserve a lot more than I can give you..."

There was a pause but, before she could think of anything else to say, she felt his hand reach up to hold the back of hers, "Y-Y-You..." His stutter seemed to surprise him more than it did her. She felt him swallow, "You look after me and I'll look after you. Do as much as you can and I'll do the same. You're doing more than enough, Blaze. Th-Thank you."

Maybe she'd manage to do this again, maybe next time she'd managed to get across her true feelings. Blaze wasn't willing to gable on maybes, not yet at least, but seeing she could be so tender had gone a long way. Perhaps there was hope for her yet. Perhaps one day she'd managed to channel that kindness into something more but, for now, she was just happy to be holding him in her arms; successfully transmitting her affection. It'd cost some blood, a few pints of water and some bandages, but it'd all been worth it to feel him tense beneath her soft touch. She loved to make him feel how he made her feel.


	34. Tending the Flame

Rain was falling thick and heavy, coming down in cold sheets to batter against a thick green cloak and obscure a radius cut by weak yellow lantern-light. Silver the hedgehog, age nineteen, had been on the road for much too long. His feet were raw and soaked, his quills and fur were matted, shivers wracked his body and nought but grumbles filled his stomach. The thick bag on his back was crushing his shoulders and weakening his knees but discomfort was almost at its end. Dirt trails through uneven bogs were a mere mile behind him, a treacherous but ultimately foe-less stretch. His boots had just met with the mossy cobbles of a small village, the first true trappings of civilisation he'd seen in weeks.

It was well beyond the witching hour, the night was moonless and clouds cluttered the sky. Buildings constructed of wood with thatched or board roofs surrounded him and, though they were in the evening, sings of life were scattered. His lantern scoped out store signs, farmer's tools set on doorsteps, freshly chopped lumber and well maintained gardens.

The tiny town of Grey Larch didn't see many tourists and those who did visit typically walked straight through the town and unto the wild lands beyond it. For that reason, Silver was rather worried about finding a spot to rest for the night; if no one was using the inn then the staff likely wouldn't linger. He didn't know the town well, alike others he normally passed through with little more than a gander in the shop windows, so when a signpost caught his eye it became his first port of call.

It was difficult in the dark but raising his lantern granted a slightly clearer view. He ignored most of the pointers, they seemed to indicate local amenities and landmarks, until he found the one he was looking for. Six hundred yards ahead was a tavern and inn called The Wanderer's Haven, it was a name that Silver vaguely recognised.

As he turned, the path ahead of him suddenly seemed a lot darker. The box's light was flickering; the range of its cast light had shrunk! Silver glanced back to the sign; words he'd struggled to read were now unreadable! The flame was fading! He'd already felt desperate but that small change sent a shiver down his spine and forced speed into his step.

"Stay with me, we're almost there!" Following the rudimentary signage, Silver soon went from running to hovering; cyan magic flickered before surrounding his body and rending him from the ground, carrying him faster towards his desired destination.

Famished as he was, Silver was willing to burn what little energy he had left to spare his lantern's faded flame. The hedgehog tore across the city, gaze thrown in all directions as he sought out an inn. He struggled to slow as he caught sight of a larger building with a swinging sign, stumbling as he returned to the ground and pushed his way towards its door. A glance to the window proved that there was candlelight inside but when he went to try the door he found it locked. Teeth grit, another glance was thrown to his fading lantern before he began to pound on the door with his free hand.

"I need a room for the night, I'm willing to pay!" He yelled, desperation turning to panic.

There was no response, only the battering of rain against cobbles and wood. Silver started to panic more, pulling the lantern deeper still into his cloak, when he heard something shift inside; a chair had dragged along the ground. A few more moments past and stress continued to eat away at him but, finally, the jingling of keys and the clicking of a latch heralded his respite.

The half opened, a bright blue eye and a tuft of brown-cream fur came into view. After a moment's scanning, a voice accompanied it, "Pay you said?"

"I have money, I have goods for trade, whatever you take I'm willing to give," He pleaded, half reaching for his gold.

"Money's good enough for me, hurry inside and out of the rain. You'll die a death of cold," The door was flung fully open and a tiny yet rotund ferret came into view. Despite owning the establishment and being the only staff around, she looked both old and frail.

The promise of coin had clearly put a spring into her step though and the moment Silver was inside she'd redone the latch and bolted back behind an old wooden counter. This tavern wasn't in the best state, there wasn't a single patron in sight yet dirty glasses littered the tables and the floor was thick with dirt. Still, he was relieved to finally have a roof over his head. The floorboards groaned beneath him as he quickly followed the crone.

"Room for," He tripped on his tongue, "One?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to charge you for a double dearie, that's the smallest we've got," She apologised, drawing out a small leather-bound book and scribbling in it.

"That will be fine, thank you," Silver reached into his cloak, intent on pulling out his coin pouch, when his stomach growled. That feeling and noise served as a reminder, he'd exhausted his supplies, "Do you have any food going? I know it's late but I'm famished."

Pausing whatever note taking she was doing, the old woman ducked backwards into a door behind the deck, "Hang on. I can make no promises but I'll have a rummage in the back!"

Seconds were ticking by like hours but he didn't regret his query. Silver drew the lantern up to sit on the desk to give it a thorough inspection. The entirety of its bronze-work was in good condition, there weren't any dents that needing pushed out, and he couldn't identify any cracks in its glass. He went to wipe its outside with his cloak's interior but found it no drier than the exterior, the streaking droplets of water and general wetness of the container would have to linger for a little longer.

As the woman re-emerged Silver quickly lowered his light from the desk, the woman dropped a battered tin tray in its place. He'd been presented with two rather pitiful looking rolls (without butter, meat or cheese to go with them), a dark green bottle and a sturdy metal tankard. Despite how meagre this meal would look to most, Silver knew that it was more than enough.

"Afraid that's all we've got in at the moment, I'll be gettin' groceries tomorrow morning," She explained, "You didn't ask but I figured I'd throw in a bottle of wine, on the house, you look like you need it."

"Thank you, how much do I owe you?" Silver asked, already drawing his purse.

"For just that? Only three gold but I've got so much more I could sell you," She smirked as she boasted.

Without even blinking, Silver drew three coins and set them on the bar, "Alright, where is my room?"

"Just up there, you're the first door on the left," She explained, pointing to a set of stairs, "Washrooms are at the end of the hall, breakfast runs from nine till twelve," She continued, though the words quickly fell from Silver's ears. As she set a rusty key on the tray Silver quickly grabbed it, "Anything else you'll be needing? Extra blankets, further drink, I could wash your cloak if you want…"

"No, thank you, that will be all," Silver quickly replied.

"Are ya sure? If you want some paraffin I've got that too, won't set you back much more," The innkeeper offered, clearly trying to squeeze more profit out of her single customer, "There's a light in the room, course there is, but that lantern's looking awfully dark."

That reminder added fuel to the flame beneath Silver. Shaking his head, he rushed for the stairwell, "I have all the fuel I need, goodnight."

"G'night," The old woman croaked, surely giving him a stare for his rudeness. That was the least of Silver's concerns though; there wasn't time to be polite.

The mouldy stairs creaked and buckled beneath him, surprising considering his frail frame, but they managed to carry him safely. The second floor was dimly lit, likely to obscure filth, but a frantic glance to his lantern proved that he didn't have time to care. With no more than a moment's concentration, the gentle orange of Silver's surroundings was overwhelmed by cyan. The key slipped free from his grasp and rocketed to the door, turning in the lock before pushing open the door. The hedgehog barged into the room without hesitation, the door slammed shut and locked behind him. There was a window on the far side of the room, with no more than a thought Silver forced closed the heavy beige curtains.

"O-Okay, okay…" His mouth was dry, his soles were raw and his eyelids were heavy. The hedgehog quickly shrugged off his bag and hung his cloak on the door handle. A dingy bed in the right corner of the room, slightly better made than the one in the left, immediately caught his eye. He dared to sit but refused to relax; the meal was set beside him, everything was prepared.

Silver set the lantern down a full pace away from his bed and, quickly, popped its lid. What couldn't have been half a minute of patiently waiting felt like a full five hours of waiting, his eyes trained on the lantern's lip. Silver picked up one of the stale rolls; his stomach growled again but he didn't dare busy himself with eating, not until his duty was done. He watched intently as the lights continued to dance behind the frosted glass, shifting and shaping before, finally, emerging to sit on the lantern's rim.

Sitting beneath him, staring up at him, was a flame no more than five inches tall and half an inch wide. The fire had taken the shape of a bipedal feline; she was cast in a bright candlelight yellow and a long ponytail crowned her head. In her current state it was difficult to make out the finer details of her appearance, her expression entirely alluded him, but her form was intact; things weren't as bad as he'd worried. Still, it wasn't as though her current condition was healthy.

A sigh of relief slipped his throat and a small smile worked its way onto his face, "Hey, sorry about the rough ride towards the end there, I saw the sign and just couldn't help myself. Figured it was best to get us out of the cold and wet," To anyone else this would look insane but being able to sit with her like this, talk with her like this, was relieving him so much, "How're you feeling?"

Her response was no more than a fizzle, entirely indistinct, but the tiny figure's body language told him more than enough. Blaze's hands were clasped in her lap, the flickering tips of her ears were slightly bent and a faded orange tail kept lashing behind her back. She was concerned, about him no doubt, but she didn't look uncomfortable. A quick glance to himself, catching sight of his gloves and boots, reminded him why she was worried. He'd been cleaning and trying to maintain his clothes but he hadn't had the time or money to replace them in six months. Things had been so difficult since she'd changed; he hadn't let himself stop, not even for a moment.

"I know, I know, I look awful," He admitted, pushing back his quills in an attempt to return them to their usual formation, "I'll see what I can do about that. This town isn't very big but he inn's cheap so, if you're okay with it, we could stay for a few days?"

Blaze's ears flickered upright and her tail ceased its waving, what'd once been tense shoulders immediately relaxed. A thorough nod followed that change, making her answer clear as though it already wasn't. Well, he supposed others wouldn't have been able to read that much into her shifts; they'd been together so long, even before she was like this, it was all so plain to him. He knew fine well that shifts in his demeanour were similarly obvious to her, Blaze always knew when he was lying, but he'd often been told that his heart was affixed to his sleeve.

Silver's smile warmed again, "Alright, I'll take a look around tomorrow and see if it's worthwhile. But first…" Silver leant down, extending the roll to Blaze, "Let's get you back to your usual size."

Despite her state, his partner immediately shot him an icy cold stare; she didn't even touch the roll.

Her tiny, nigh unreadable, expression clearly read, "I know you could have bought fuel for me and had both of those rolls for yourself."

He awkwardly swallowed. This wasn't going to be easy, "Come on Blaze, you know what paraffin does to you. You wouldn't have been able to maintain your proper form and you'd be too chaotic to fit in the lamp," Silver's explanation didn't seem to have much impact, despite the concern in his voice and truth to his words. Whenever she took in wood, coal or other more typical fuels it'd return her body to size but she'd lose partial control over her form. By using real food they'd learned to increase her size more incrementally, resulting in a smoother flame, "You need to eat properly."

The flame turned away from him, now her arms were fully folded and assumedly her eyes were shut. Seeing no other option, Silver lowered himself to kneel on the grubby wooden floor. He held the bread closer still, not daring to prod her lest he disrupted her form but making the mass unavoidable for her. She paid him a glance but, almost immediately, turned away again.

Her body language read, "There are only two rolls and you haven't eaten in over a day. I can endure until breakfast in the morning or consume something else; I'll burn up some linens or a rag if I must but you need to eat."

They were fair arguments, she probably would last beyond breakfast, but his worry worked against her kind-hearted endeavour. He uncorked the wine he'd thought useless and, without so much as hesitating, doused the mass. Usually wine wouldn't burn that well but the unique nature of Blaze's spiritual flames meant they'd burn just about anything; he wasn't making the meal inedible for her, he was making it inedible for himself.

Blaze quickly realised this of course, much louder sizzles began to explode from the small figure. As he corked the bottle, Silver couldn't bring himself to meet the small woman's burning eyes. Instead, he simply held the roll out to her again, "You wouldn't eat so I had to…"

The hissing only grew louder in response to that but, a few moments later, it finally ended. Silver felt the roll start to grow lighter in his grasp, the scent of burning entered the air. He dared to glance down and found that she had indeed started to eat, her tiny mouth would close over a section and the mass would burn before being absorbed into her form. Even after only a couple of bites she was already a far healthier colour.

"Thank you, Blaze," He said, beaming down at his tiny friend.

Another fiery grumble sounded but her feasting didn't stop. She didn't eat like ordinary fire rather she bit like any normal person. When her mouth passed over an area it would burn away the mass and deliver power back to her. This meant the, as she worked further through her meal, Silver had to twist and turn his grip in order to accommodate her eating. When she was this small, this low on power, wrapping the foodstuff in his psychic aura wasn't an option; she'd never break through. Even while she was in this state, even while he felt so worried, Silver couldn't help but admire her magic.

Their combined powers made them a ferocious team, capable of competing quests that far better travelled adventurers would shirk. They'd both been born with a high degree of magical aptitude, capable of performing powerful arcane feats even during their infancy, and had thus been sent in the mage's academy in the capital city. It was there, little more than infants, that they'd collided for the first time. Blaze, a scholarly student who struggled to control her power, and Silver, a naturally gifted student who failed at all but practical work, had found themselves lost and alone in their new home. The destructive nature of Blaze's power had drawn both fear and thus ridicule from her peers but her flames had always fascinated Silver and soon, following a few scuffles with the other students, they became a duo. It was this bond more than the combination of their powers that'd made their partnership last beyond graduation; they quested as a team, working together to vanquish the world's evils and make a living.

Travel and time had left him weary, he shook the reminiscing from his head. Energy had pooled in her tiny form, eating the bread had refuelled her. Two thirds of the wine-soaked roll had been consumed; Silver knew she'd eaten enough to, at the bare minimum, return to normal. Recognising this and no long feeling the flame's touch on the foodstuff, he shifted up and onto the bed. He was giving her some distance, knowing what was about to happen.

The flame feline dropped back into the lantern, pulsing light was magnified to fill the room's entity. A moment passed, as the cacophonous crackling of flames filled the room and Silver's gaze flickered to the door. He hadn't heard anyone on this floor, perhaps the rooms were empty, but being allocated room three rather than room one was worrying him.

A twisting pillar of flame, as tall as him, exploded from the lantern's depths. The light had weakened as the flames expanded; he could watch freely. Trepidation quickly forgotten, Silver settled in; this was always wonderful to watch. The blaze was constantly warping and reshaping, growing and shrinking, exploding and imploding. Slowly but surely the energy was condensing and what many would have seen as uncontrolled and erratic mutations was actualised into her elegant regrowth. First he saw her head in the flames, eyeless and featureless, then an arm, a leg, her tail and, finally, her torso. The pieces came into alignment, connecting and congealing into a single form as the excess flames shrunk into her body and applied detail. It was almost a dance, as she fully formed his partner was practically pirouetting. Finally, clothes made from that same fire grew and granted her a degree of further personification.

Blaze the cat was fully realised; Silver's fellow sorcerer and companion had fully manifested. The flames that made up her body were sleek, warm yellow and well contained, save for a slight flickering atop her ears and ponytail. She wore the same outfit every time; it was the garb she'd worn when her body was transformed to this state. What'd once been a cropped woollen mantle hung from her shoulders to her midriff, beneath it was once a robe-like shirt with hanging sleeves that was always tucked into a set of leather trousers. Completing the outfit was a pendant around her neck, its chain was hardly visible against her body's matching colouration but what had once been a circular timepiece still hung outside her robes. He'd gifted her that just a little under seven months ago, he'd wanted to thank her for saving his life but she was livid that he'd spent so much on her. Of course, now it, alike all her clothes, had lost its colouration to the flame; her outfit was essentially her body now rather than trappings.

Having caught himself staring, Silver psychically floated the remainder of the roll towards her. Because she was made of fire, Blaze couldn't really interact with material objects so he had to be her hands. Despite the rolling of her eyes, the feline opened her mouth and reached to simulate holding the mass. With her power restored she could break through his aura as she willed and easily consume the remaining mass. It'd taken them so long to figure this all out, how to keep her housed and safely refuel her and so much more. He'd come so close to losing her so many times.

In a matter of moments the roll vanished and Blaze was cast a healthy yellow, "I could have lasted until tomorrow," Her voice, to match with her current form, took on the tone of a crackling heart. Others would struggle to decipher her words even while they were this loud but Silver was used to it, "Hunger hurts you far more than it hurts me."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make you a safer size. Any stray wind or water would be dangerous. That and," His gaze broke from her and his hand found the back of his neck, "Well, we've been traveling in silence for a few days. I just wanted to talk with you again."

The sighing of fire was a sound that Silver had grown all too familiar with, "You're so naïve."

In an attempt to placate her, he reached over and took the remaining roll. It was like eating a small bolder but, to be frank, it just felt good to finally be eating something. The last day and a half of travel had been performed on an empty stomach; he'd pushed her to consume the last of his hardtack following a long and particularly wet day. It wasn't that they weren't well off, their jobs provided enough coin to sustain them, but things rarely went as planned on the road.

"How are you feeling?" He piped up, forcing himself to swallow the final bite.

"A lot better," It took a moment but she managed to admit that much, "Thank you, Silver, but you know I'd much rather you tend yourself first."

"I know you would it's just… difficult, you know?" He sighed, "When there's so little of you left it scares me."

"I know it is but you're doing the bulk of the work, you deserve aid first," She'd leant in a little closer and, thus, the heat had grown a lot more intense, "Are you okay? Have you been hurt?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just a little damp around the edges and slightly more blistered, nothing time and rest won't fix," He promised, unleashing a small smile, "Your situation took priority."

"Well, I suppose you were being less foolhardy than I thought," She reached forward; burning fingers cupped centimetres from his muzzle but he didn't flinch. The brush of her warmth, not the lick of flames but the heat they radiated, began to eat away at the worst of his wetness, "It was still more than a little foolish though, I'm holding you to the offer you made earlier. I want you to spend five nights sleeping in a proper bed."

Her concern warmed him more than her flames ever could, "Alright, five days in Grey Larch before we hit the road again. That should be plenty of time to heal and stock up. Do you want anything?"

"The lantern's still watertight so there's really nothing to worry about," She waved him off, reaching out with her other hand to aid in the warming process, "You should get your cloak stitched properly, it's not keeping out the rain anymore. You're soaked to the bone, aren't you freezing?"

"Blaze," He closed his eyes, relaxing into on her gifted warmth more than he probably should, "I asked if you wanted anything, not if you needed anything."

There was a short pause; Silver found himself almost falling within her false grasp. A wispy sigh slipped from her throat, "Well… do you remember the little bookshop in this town? I suppose, if you're going to insist…"

His eyes flickered open and her gaze broke from him, "Anything in particular? Did you spot something last time?"

"No, no; I've not nothing in mind really. Just some new stories, something relaxing to help pass the time," She half-elaborated, still refusing to meet his stare.

"Yeah, we've only got that one romance novel left," He mused, "Maybe we should finally start it?"

Eyeballs of flame rolled within her fiery head and landed back upon his face, "We've been putting it off for a reason Silver, it's trite. By the blurb alone I know it's far too embarrassing to share."

"We won't know that till we try it though, right?" He offered again, pulling away from her touch and reaching into his bag's side pocket. The book was a little damp but still in good nick, its hard cover had protected it well.

She looked at him incredulously, her tail slowly swished to curl around her waist, "If you're so interested then you know you can read it yourself, I'll sit right here and happily watch you turn pink."

"What? I don't want to read it alone, we always read on the road together," He whined, trying not to fall for her teasing. They'd been putting off reading this one since before Blaze had been bewitched. That thought, coupled with the sight of the book's deep green cover, forced the groggy Silver back into a state of absentminded reflection.

Six months ago they'd been recommended for a quest by one of their past lecturers. A peasant town to the south had been scorched to the ground, all of its citizens mysteriously vanishing as their homes went up in flame. There had been no further attacks but repeated sightings of strange lights and will-o-wisps dancing from the depths of the town's mineshaft. The task had been proposed as a simple way to move up in the world, an easy way to get a good reference and thus access to better quests, but the fire's origin had been far more dangerous than the expert had anticipated. Minor demons weren't an uncommon sight, menageries held them and they were key to various studies, but more significant demonic entities were only to be dealt with by the most powerful of sorcerers; certainly not two new graduates.

They'd fought for their lives in that mine, first thinking they stood a chance before collapsing it as they fled. No matter how much dirt or stone fell into the monster's path it managed to push through, it managed to lay a hand on Blaze's shoulder. In a flash of red light, faster than Silver could react, purple fur and clothes alike immolated to leave only a burning silhouette. With its single attack dealt, the entity allowed itself to be swallowed by the soil and vanished from sight. Bewildered and terrified, they couldn't even consider giving chase; they'd ran free from the shaft and bolted all the way back to the academy. Cursed they'd said, the only way to undo it was to kill the demon they'd said. Having had control over fire her entire life, Blaze was in a better position than most to manage her new form than most but, regardless, a life changing, blow had still been dealt to her. No more touching; she was left unable to feel and, equally, unable to touch without causing destruction. The creature had probably assumed that she'd accidently kill him before burning out, just as the village had destroyed itself. It'd gravely underestimated her.

Catching himself spacing out again and frowning at his own tiredness, he sat the book atop the tray and set them both on the ground, "I suppose it can wait a little longer."

"A little longer might well be a lifetime," He hands had moved to clasp in front of her but her warmth was still reaching him, "I'm sure we'll find something worth reading tomorrow, you should focus on resting tonight."

She wasn't wrong, there was still a fair journey ahead, "We're still five days travel from the capital, assuming good weather. Hopefully our next job will give us some better leads on where to try next," Of course, ever since her transformation, all of their quests had been picked with their ulterior motive in mind. Whether they were saving civilians or hunting monsters, their eyes and ears were permanently searching for that demon, "I'll try to ask around again too, a couple of places said they'd keep an ear open and it'd be worth visiting the college I think. Even if it only proves what we already know it'll be worthwhile, right?"

"Its been six months, Silver. If there were alternate methods we'd have heard by now," As far as they knew, tracking down and killing the demon was the only way to break the spell. The scholar who'd assigned the mission was deep in research but all this time it'd turned up no results, "Its wise to keep an ear to the ground but try not to get your hopes up again."

"I won't I just… I don't like you being so uncomfortable," They'd had this talk so many times but the wound still stung like it was fresh, "If there was anything I could do, anything, you know I'd do it."

"I know you would," She responded, her right hand cupping the air mere centimetres from his shoulder, "You've been doing all you can this whole time."

Distress was plain on her face, he so desperately wanted to take her hand, "And I'm not going to stop trying."

She paused for a moment, her eyes flickered shut and her head leant just a little closer, "I know, I know, it's okay Silver. As long as we're together it'll be okay. As long as I'm with you, I'll be okay."

"And the same goes for me," He swore.

Silence briefly engulfed them again, his partner returned to her full height but refused to meet his eye. Another sigh slipped her throat; she was clearly mulling something over. Just when he'd started to consider prying, her gaze finally returned to him.

"Stand up," Her insistence was plain but her eyes flickered away from him, "Put up your aura."

Silver did as he was told without hesitation; a cyan hue, fainter and thinner than it'd usually be, manifested around him and pulled him to his feet. They were eye-to-eye now, no more looking down to her nor being looked down upon. He knew what she was going to do and, admittedly, he longed for it.

She started with her right hand, gently pushing into the aura atop his chest. This was the only way she could touch him, the only way she could touch anything without burning it. By wrapping himself in psychic energy, effectively sealing himself off from the outside world, he allowed her to come the closest she could to touching anything. He still couldn't touch her, fire could handle spreading but not being intruded, so she had to lead in all of their physical interaction. Of course, this wasn't touch as he actually knew it; Blaze was touching the barrier between them and he could merely feel the reverberations. It was a tease of a touch; he felt the licking of her heat and crackling against his psychokinetic barrier but no more than that.

Her hand traced up to his shoulder, the closer she shifted the more he was blinded but Silver was more than willing to indulge in this. He felt her free hand crackle against the back of his head and then, not more than five seconds later, her forehead was pressing against his. Memories of touches they'd shared played in his mind; they'd held this position more times than he could ever hope to count. Every time they reunited and whenever exhaustion claimed them, they'd find comfort in each other's arms. Silver hadn't realised until she'd changed but he'd always been a rather physical person. Where once he'd take her hand without hesitation or pull her into a hug, he now had to await her contact and cherish what little they had.

He felt her fingers curl and toil just above his shoulders and her tail slinked its way around his hips. There was something different in the air tonight though; at first he thought it was due to his tiredness but soon he noticed a difference in her contact. Blaze was usually soft, scared of puncturing his aura and burning the skin beneath, but tonight she was being more heavy handed; she was seeking out his touch more than ever before.

"Thoughts swirl in my head sometimes, questions that I know I shouldn't ask," He tried to meet her eyes but the light was just too bright, "What if we can't break the curse, what if we never find that demon?" Before he could answer, more words crackled from her fiery frame, "I know you're certain we will but what will you do if we can't, what if we never find that demon? We can't search forever. It's not realistic, you can't keep pushing yourself like this."

He resisted the want to hold her close, he struggled for words, "I'm not going to stop trying, I promise."

"I know you don't want to Silver, but look at the state you're in. You have to take breaks, I don't want you to lose yourself trying to save me," Her next words set his blood to boil, "Or, well, what's left of me."

"You're still Blaze, you're still you. It's not a matter of what's left of you, you're still right here; holding me," Those words came out faster and louder than he'd really intended but he stood by them, "I'll never leave your side; I didn't leave when you first turned, did I? I'm used to this life now and, even if I wasn't, I'm not going to give you up. I care too much about you."

"No not like that, I meant," She took a moment, struggling to gather the right words, "You spend so much time tending to me, you have to be so careful and I can't even hug you in return. Is that not wearing you down, is it not wearying you?" Her hands left his frame but her head remained, pushing and rubbing against his, "I've accidently hurt you before and I could fade so easily but, even with that in mind, you won't want to leave me for some scholar to deal with?"

"Of course I won't, I've never even considered it," His response was immediate, not a second wasted thinking, "I'll never leave you behind, you're my partner, Blaze. When I say I'd do anything to give you your body back I mean it; I don't care what it takes to help you, I'll do it. I want to free you from this curse," He was certain that tiredness was limiting him, making it difficult to make his point, but Silver pressed on, "No matter how hard the road is, no matter what form you take, it's easier to walk it with you. I'd miss you too much if I left you behind, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I might need to stop searching from time to time, we can take breaks, but we won't stop for good until it's done. I won't stop until I can hold you again but I don't mind being like this; as long as I'm with you and you're safe, I am happy."

The feeling of contact, the fuzziness of their power's overlap, suddenly faded. Silver tried to look at her, eyes narrowing as he tried to stare beyond her radiance, but Blaze hadn't truly pulled back. His aura remained, the cyan hue obscuring details that were already difficult to make out, but he could tell that her ears had tilted. All of a sudden contact resumed but the site of her touch was significantly different.

Her burning muzzle was pressed against his; Blaze was kissing him. They'd never done this before; his touch-starved state had led him to consider this, led him to long for this, but he'd never dared to dwell on it. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, he longed to lean into her touch but Silver knew how dangerous the unprompted contact could be. His hands hovered a mere inch from her body and his eyes came to close as he focused on the feeling of her touch. Physically, there wasn't much different from her other touches; as her burning form met with his magic, Silver felt the touch echo through his very being and her heat ebbed through to grace his lips. It was all so very real, it felt more genuine than any touched they'd shared this past six months.

Before he could even question what this was or what it all meant, Blaze had fully pulled away. His fingers rose to touch his lips, he could still feel her warmth.

"I planned to do that after that mission, the day I'd turned, but…" She seemed to lose her words. No longer focused on the endeavour, only on her, the hedgehog's aura faded away, "I'm sorry it's like this rather than physical but… I couldn't really help myself," Her hands found her tail and her gaze drifted to the floor, "Thank you, Silver."

Her yellow muzzle, all of a sudden, shifted to a hot red colouration. It was a sight Silver had seen before but, either due to his naivety or obliviousness, hadn't fully understood. She was embarrassed; his stoic companion was flustered? Touches like the prior were nothing new to them but kissing was a step further. Even if he could barely feel physically, she'd awoken something deep within him.

"I-It's," He was stuttering? Was he burning up? Had he caught fire? "C-Can we…" Words continued to fail him but he couldn't act, he didn't want to risk quelling her form even slightly. She had to lead, which, to be honest, was fortunate because he was shaking, "Again?"

That fiery blush continued to spread further, "You're so naïve…"

Silver allowed his aura to flare as Blaze leaned in again, sparks of cyan and yellow resumed their chaotic entanglement. Crackling like new wood piled on a roaring flame filled his ears, it was the closest that her new form could come to purring. Despite the difference between it and the sound he knew, Silver loved to hear it so very much.

His lips longed for a friction they could only imagine, their closest representation the crackling of psychic energy against burgeoning flames. He could feel her heat burying against his muzzle, desperately trying to make some kind of meaningful contact. His eyes closed as he attempted to focus on her touch; ears scrunched and toes curled. He just wanted to hold her again; he missed nights spent huddling in their tent, how her hand would find his shoulder whenever he needed reassurance and the way that her tail would absentmindedly brush against him. Despite how long had past, Silver could still imagine the feeling of their fur hitching against each other as they shared grumbles about travel and work. Silver couldn't help but feel a little greedy but he'd been so starved of her touch; having her close like this yet still beyond being tactile was a little maddening.

He felt her licking flames trace across his shielded back and her head tilted further still in an attempt to deepen the kiss. She was longing for more too; no matter how touch starved he felt, Blaze was surely struggling more. At least he could taste and touch other things; the feline had no skin, no nerves, she was fully without feeling. It was amazing that she could even see and talk to him in her current state, they should have been thankful for that but it was just so difficult.

"Blaze…" The heat had risen, he could feel the sweat on his brow and her warmth was sinking deep into his fur, "No matter how long it takes, we'll fix this," Her kissing shifted lower on his muzzle, she was tracing along his jaw. As the contact finally concluded, her arms remaining on the small of his back, his eyes reopened and fell upon her glowing form. Her blush had cooled slightly but crimson heat still very much lingered. Using his powers had drained him further still but her contact had energised him; he found the strength reinforced his promise, "I'll do whatever it takes, I'm not going to stop trying, but you're still you. If it doesn't work then I'll still be here with you, you'll always be my partner…"

"I know, I know," Despite the cooling of her blush, a lack of eye contact proved that she was still embarrassed, "You should rest Silver, you hardly slept last night."

"You just came back though," He protested, "I want to talk with you more, I want to stay up with you. Even if we don't touch that book, we haven't read together in ages."

Silver thought that was a compelling argument, he was required to turn pages for her after all, but, alas, "It's not like I'm going anywhere; I'll be right here when you wake up, we can talk in the morning and we'll have plenty of time to read tomorrow," Her touch faded from his form, her small smile came back into view, "You've been looking after me all this time, let me look after you again. Its been too long."

She was right, this was so different from how things had been, prior to her transformation Blaze had taken charge most of the time. Whenever they had been lost or deciding to set up where to set up camp, she'd point him in the right direction and only rarely lead them wrong. Even when she'd been mistaken and had grown frustrated at herself, Silver had felt entirely comfortable following her lead. Thus, in the few cases it was now applicable, Silver would fully concede control to her, knowing that he'd have to plan the next day and manage all of their business.

A yawn finally pushed free from his mouth, the warmth of the room was aiding her argument. He knew they'd need time to understand the step they'd just taken but he offered one last time, "Are you sure? I know you don't sleep and you're just free from containment; it has to be boring in there.

"Watching over you will more than hold my attention, don't worry," Her embarrassment had almost fully cooled but she was still insistent on him resting, "Besides, you mumble in your sleep."

Silver's brow quirked, he bent down to untie his boots, "I do?"

"Oh, quite a lot," Was she teasing him? The slow swishing of her tail suggested so but that didn't mean she was lying, "Sometimes we'll have whole conversations."

"About what?" He didn't want to look like he was worrying but, equally, Silver knew his dreams could be quite vivid. Trying to maintain a guise, he dropped to sit on the bed.

"Just sweet and silly things," She mused, refusing to look at him directly, "You make a lot of promises, talk about what you want. Most of it is nonsense…"

"M-Most of it?" He cringed at his stutter, she was just riling him up… right?

Her legs crossed in the air, Silver doubted her position changed much but she looked far more comfortable. Perhaps it was the knowing smile on her glowing lips, "If it happens tonight it'll give us something to talk about it in the morning. For now, just rest."

It was a well-planned stratagem, she wanted him to rest so she'd suck a deal. Another yawn slipped free from his throat. She was intentionally making the room stuffy, he knew she was, "Fine, but you'd better tell me everything in the morning."

He didn't bother to slip beneath the blankets; he'd swelter under there with the heat she was generating. The wooden frame buckled beneath him, the pillow was practically a board, but it was better than what he'd known on the road. He'd take a bath in the morning, tidy himself up a bit and have a proper meal; for now, he just wanted to rest and stay by her side.

"I will," She went from sitting in the air to lying on her side.

This was the closest they could come to laying together, it was either this or him simply cuddling her lantern. They'd been living out of a tiny tent for so long, the former just hadn't been an option. Even though she wasn't actually touching him, being enveloped in her warmth brought him no end of comfort. It was her way of holding him without holding him, evaporating what little remained of day's rain and pushing warmth into its place. Taking the place of bodily touch, her heat caressed and tended the entirety of his form. If they had to lie like this forever then that was more than good enough for him.

As his eyes came to close, crackling like that of a well-stocked hearth popped and snapped from her form; she was purring again, "Goodnight, Silver."

A smile slipped onto his lips again, if she could hear his dreams then he hoped he'd dream her a good tale tonight, "Goodnight, Blaze."


	35. Bluffing

The princess had foreseen her current situation, but that foresight was no consolation. Blaze the cat, guardian of the Sol emeralds, was wading her way through the thick underbrush of a palm tree forest. Ferns, thick moss and fungi practically surrounded her, and yesterday's rainfall guaranteed that every step dealt a resounding squelch. Despite Autumn rearing its head, the sun was breaching through the canopy and managing to crown her head.

A few metres ahead of her, silently battling her way through the underbrush, was Marine the raccoon. Her expression was hidden from Blaze but, by the angle of her ears and the steeliness with which she was pushing forward, she knew the sailor was very unhappy. Usually, an outing like this would draw no end of excitement from the raccoon, she'd jump for joy and squeal about adventuring, but her chipper attitude had been dashed this morning.

Silver should have returned three days ago, the hedgehog had left to take in the other world's future and determine the cause of its end, yet even how, past noon the following day, he still hadn't manifested. Blaze knew there'd be an explanation, and she fully believed in his strength, but that hadn't kept her from worrying. Before he'd left, she'd insisted upon a deadline of three weeks spent in the future but, simultaneously, had made him promise to reappear at an equal increment from when he'd left. It was an attempt to keep their ages in synch, make sure that one didn't slip away from the other, but waiting for him had proved far harder than she'd thought.

Pushing her selfish regret to the back of her mind, continuing to push through the undergrowth, the guardian refocused her attention on the adventurer ahead of her. Unfortunately, Silver's disappearance was only partially to blame for the raccoon's demeanour. Unwilling to dwell on her loneliness (even before he was late), Blaze had buried herself beneath a mountain of policy and construction planning; approving and disapproving changes to the islands she defended. Without the feline's watchful eye, Marine had been free to do as she please and that meant constructing what could only be described as a Viking longboat from driftwood and wrought iron. Hearing wind of it through Gardon, the pyrokinetic had risen from her desk and descended on the docks. After much debate, Marine agreed to await Silver's return rather than launch the ship immediately. Externally, Blaze has suggested it was a good way to mark and celebrate the hedgehog's return when, in actuality, she didn't expect the ramshackle ship to sail. If Silver was around, he'd be able to catch the boat and save it before it sank; he'd have been able to prevent all of this.

When the day arrived for Silver to return, Marine had been ecstatic; she'd waited at the docks for hours upon hours. Blaze had joined her near the middle of her wait, reigniting the young girl's hope only for it to fizzle out as high noon turned to dusk before dusk turned to night. The feline had tried to keep a brave face but, as the sun began to set, worry built and she'd foolishly explained the situation to Marine; that Silver could be stuck in the future, that he could have had to transport himself further forwards in time so as to keep their ages aligned. When Marine had questioned how much longer he could be away Blaze had told her no more than a few days but that hadn't settled the young girl. Assumedly, alike Blaze herself, she'd realised that they could be waiting for a return that would never come; if Silver had been injured in the future or, though she didn't dare consider it, died, they'd have no way of knowing.

The pair had waited together for a second day but, during the third, Blaze had been pulled away to oversee a landownership dispute on a nearby island. It was simple enough, the usual fair of separating some squabbling koalas and making sure that the law is upheld, but, naturally, she had been drained by worry and a lack of sleep. As they arrived at the island however, attempting to dock, Blaze overheard shouting. All of a sudden, Marine's project was set loose; it slid down the sandbank and breached the water behind them. For a moment it seemed to work, Marine threw goads as the ship drifted towards open ocean but Blaze soon noticed a change in the ship's balance.

As Blaze gave the shout to drop anchor, Marine started to clamber up the sail; gaps in her ironwork was causing the hull to fill. The longboat began to tilt, its front end weighed down while its back managed to remain buoyant. Knowing there wasn't time to send out a lifeboat, Blaze pounced from the deck and latched onto the mast. From there, jumping back to the ship with Marine in tow was difficult but a burst of flame granted her the required propulsion to get up and onto the deck. They made it back just in time to watch Marine's ship vanish into the-

Blaze, both physically and mentally, came to a halt just before she could walk into the young shipwright. A bizarrely thick wall of ferns, larger than any Blaze had seen in the surrounding area, was blocking their path. Hundreds of tiny, pale, fungal disks dotted what seemed to be the plant's underside and the feline could hear waves just ahead. The two had been walking for a solid hour now, forcing their way through thick forest that Blaze hadn't ever seen reason to visit. When they'd returned to the shore the raccoon had grumbled an apology before rushing off in this direction, refusing to stop no matter how Blaze called her and no matter how she'd followed. This was where she was going?

Rather than kick her way through the barrier, as she had so many plants on this trip, Marine turned side on and gently pushed her way around one of the large leaf's edges. Curious at this change, just as she was at the faint sound of breaking waves, Blaze edged her way through the barrier. The scent of damp and perishing wood was quickly overwhelmed by the freshness of the ocean and she quickly discerned that the tide was roaring beneath her rather than before her.

She quickly came to recognise her surroundings, even though she'd never visited them; she'd sailed past this spot hundreds of times. They were standing at the edge of a bluff, a long rock formation that jutted out from the far side of the island, a stretch of flat brown rock no more than fifteen metres long and six wide at best. The sun was just a little ahead of them, hours from setting but destined to dip down in front of her; blue-green ocean and the horizon took up the entirety of the view. Without hesitating, Marine had turned slightly from the outcropping and wandered to the right. There, stacked around twenty high, was a pyramid made of rocks, missing its top. Three stones were drawn from the pile, roughly the shape and size of baseballs and ranging from white to black in colouration, before the young girl turned again. She was walking along the bluff; she still hadn't spoken a word.

Unable to hold back, confused and more than a little scared about what Marine was about to do, Blaze chased after the shipwright and caught her shoulder, "Marine! What are you-

"That stupid ship! Why couldn't it just stay upright!?" The shipwright tried to keep striding along the outthrust, her ears fully flattened as she continued to yell at seemingly nothing, "I worked so hard on it!

Quite unsure what to do, feeling her own ears clamp against her head, Blaze tried again, "It's alright Marine, you can make another-

"It's just so stupid! Useless, that was good wood and metal too! Totally wasted!" The raccoon threw one of the rocks, it bounced off the edge of the bluff and tumbled into the ocean.

"Marine, listen to me!" Blaze couldn't help but growl, hoping to get through to the youngster.

"Mate," Suddenly, like a switch had been flipped, Marine went from angry to whining. She rolled her head, pouting back at the feline, "Let go, let me deal with this. I've got to let it all out."

The feline was taken aback, her grip slacked, "Deal with what, let what out?"

Shrugging Blaze's hand from her shoulder, Marine managed to take a few more paces along the rock-face, "I'm just letting out my feelings mate, trying not to mope around for too long."

Completely baffled, Blaze could only watch, "Wh-What?"

She kept walking, shouting as she went, "It was meant to be big and tough! I was going to show it off to everyone, but you took it from me! It's all your fault you… you… stupid sea!" Another rock was thrown. Worry quickly set in again; Marine had almost reached the edge. Batting aside her acrophobia, Blaze followed her along the outcropping, "Why'd you have to do that? You've eaten so many of my inventions! Trying to make me think it's my fault for buildin' it wrong, tryin' to make me think it's Silver's fault for not bein' here; no! It's your fault for swallowin' all my stuff! Stupid sea!"

Rock number three was thrown. Despite the effort behind the raccoon's endeavour, it spiralled towards the horizon before vanishing into the water without so much as an audible splash. Marine went from standing to sitting; her legs crossed not a foot from the island's edge. Her fists were balled at her sides and her ears were still flattened, just as Blaze went to put a hand on her shoulder the raccoon resumed her shouting.

"It's not his fault he's stuck, it's not my fault that wood was brittle and it's not my fault…" She took in a deep breath, "It's not my fault that you decided to be so mean today! Stupid sea! Are you even sorry?!"

The sea offered no response, only the continued crashing and roaring of waves against the island's rockface.

With her speech concluded, a small hitched sigh escaped Marine's throat. Blaze took the last steps and stood next to her, trying to get a better read on the situation. Small tears had formed in the corners of her eyes, but her cries were nothing like the crocodile sobs Blaze was used to. She was almost panting, bordering on wheezing, having screamed her lungs out and released what could only be described as an explosion of emotions.

"Marine," Not daring to look at the sea, Blaze leaned down and tried to more gently speak to her, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, y-yeah," She dragged a fist beneath her nose, "I'm fine mate, just… dealing with stuff. Can you get me another rock? I don't think I'm done yet."

Blaze was a little taken aback by the request but, understanding the girl's intent a little better, she didn't see a reason to refuse. No longer so worried, Blaze did as was asked of her. They weren't far from the island and, perhaps due to the thick forest behind them, the day's wind was actually rather light. As she strode the walkway's length, she noticed that only feature stretching far enough to see was the edge of the island's stretched peer. Collecting a stone, a little more pear shaped than spherical, the princess debated what to do next.

The feline was certain that the youth was trying to look tough, not wanting to cry in front of the coconut crew or even really in from of the princess, but she'd found this place so easily. Assumedly, the raccoon herself had collected this pile of stones and thus she had to have done this a handful of times at least. There were two ways she could approach this; she could ask about the ship sinking or she could ask about this place. When it came to the ship breaking, Blaze was fairly certain that she already knew everything. She'd been unable to contain her excitement, longing to sail her new ship for over a week and her woodwork hadn't been up to snuff. With the princess and the time traveller away there'd been nothing to distract the shipwright. The kid just wanted to have fun.

Well, that only left one option. Keeping her eyes affixed on the young girl, still refusing to look straight down, Blaze quickly retraced her steps. Slowly, having made sure there was enough space, she lowered herself to sit next to the Marine. Fortunately, she'd chosen to halt before the bluff tapered thinner; even sitting with her legs in a basket there was a fair stretch of stone to Blaze's left. Without much worry, Blaze handed off the stone.

"Thanks, mate," She quietly replied, gently palming and rubbing the mass, "I guess this all looks a little weird, eh?"

"Only a little," Blaze lied, "But let's start at the beginning, how did you find this place?"

"Oh, that was easy. I was sailing around and just kind of saw the bluff, thought it seemed pretty neat so I made an adventure of it; tried to track the path to it," She recalled, "It was really difficult the first time, took me days to find the path we just took, but I found it and thought the view was real pretty. I debated moving my house out here but then I figured that kind of ruin the scenery, that and I couldn't have a workshop up here. It's way too high up."

"I've noticed," Blaze tried not to grumble. If Silver was here then here fear would have been dispelled, there was no risk of falling when he was around. Come to think of it, he'd probably love this place; both the walk and the view were wonderfully serene, "And when did this turn from a nice place to visit into somewhere you'd… let it all out?" She asked, using the raccoon's own words.

"Oh, it took me a while to figure that out," She began to line up her throw, squinting at the horizon, "A couple of months ago I had a really bad day. My hammock broke, one of my ships went down and everyone was real' busy. I just wanted to get away from it all," The stone was overhand thrown spiralling unevenly throw the air before vanishing over the horizon. Again, the splash wasn't audible, "So I came out here and kind of just… played for a while? I brought some trinkets to tinker with, but I ended up collecting stones and trying to make a splash loud enough that I could hear. I didn't like how loud the waves were being, so I decided to shout at them. After that it just kind of became a thing, I guess."

"Just became a thing?" Blaze repeated, prying for further elaboration.

"Yeah, I didn't really mean to do it but the next time I felt bad I decided to do it again," Marine nonchalantly put. It was only now, with her last stone thrown, that tears started to well in Marine's eyes, "I spent some time to myself, shouted at the sea, threw some stones and went back home when I was ready."

"Okay so…" Blaze struggled to word her next query; the sight of the crying raccoon was just a little too much to bear. Slowly, gently, her hand found the girl's far shoulder, "Do you shout at the ocean often? I assume by the pile…"

"Not too often but I do it for a bunch of reasons, mate," The raccoon responded, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, "If I've got a cool secret I can't tell anyone that I need to let out, if I drop my ice cream, if I sleep in too late, if I upset you or Gardon," She counted off on her fingers, "Or, yeah, if one of my ships sink. Basically whenever I feel overwhelmed I'll come out here and let off some steam; throw some rocks and tell the ocean my problems."

"And it helps?" That question sprung from Blaze's lips far faster than she'd intended it.

"Oh, it totally helps mate, yeah! You should try it some time," The Raccoon absentmindedly mumbled before a thought seemed to strike her, "N-Not that you're over angry, especially not recently but… well…you know…" Just as Blaze started to realise what the raccoon was implying, she managed to finish her thought, "It just helps sometimes to let it all out, whatever you're feeling. Sadness, overexcitement, loneliness, whatever. It's nice to let it all out."

Shoving her embarrassment aside and turning to the sea, trying not to dwell on such a thing, Blaze gave up and pulled the girl just a little closer, giving a half-hearted response, "I-I doubt it would do me much good."

Despite the height, the sea view was undeniably beautiful. There were no other islands in view, simply simple the endless expanse of the deep blue. Some ships were passing in the far distance, pursued by a small flock of gulls. It was nice to be away from everything, free from the bustle of town and the cabin fever of the palace library. No confining walls but, equally, no shouts nor whispers thrown at or around her. Once Blaze managed to make peace with the height, she couldn't help agreeing that the site was rather liberating. Marine's actions were made all the more understandable, she could scream her heart's desires and who would hear? Only the sea would follow her words, the winds would tear apart her voice and the forest behind her would obscure all. There'd be no reason to conceal. Marine's emotions were explosive, they'd caused problems in the past, so this was the solution she'd sought out. No matter how she tried, the feline couldn't help but draw a parallel to herself.

"I can see why you come here, Marine," The princess managed to respond, tearing her gaze away from the view and towards the raccoon, "I won't tell anyone what you do here, don't worry."

"Thanks, mate," The shipwright's shoulder was suddenly buried against the feline's side, "I-It's a little embarrassing, ya know? I'm meant to be all adventurous, swashbuckling and having fun, not… doin' stuff like this," Blaze felt Marine's head tilt and, suddenly, those bright blue eyes were staring up at her. Despite their closeness, the raccoon resumed her shouting, "You can come here whenever you want though! I give you full permission!"

"Th-Thank you, Marine," The pyrokinetic managed to respond, her stare returning to the sea. This was all a little more parental than she was used to, "I suppose I might return to take in the view from time to time."

The girl was finally smiling again, rubbing the tears from her eyes with the back of her knuckle, "Aww, mate, you should see this place at night for sure, it's even prettier! I know the island's good for stars, but out here they're great! The walk's great too; usually I'm not even sad by the time I arrive…"

* * *

Two nights had passed since Blaze last took this walk, two further days without Silver's return. The sleep that followed her walk with Marine had been fitful, she'd tossed and turned well beyond midnight, but the princess hadn't even managed an hour last night. No matter how long she'd read or paced or lay, sleep had refused to claim her. Tonight had been the same.

She was tired but, equally, plagued by both fear and doubt. She could only imagine what hell he'd have found himself in, her wild speculation ranged from burning worlds like the one they'd known to a time and place so cold, so devoid of life, that his footsteps were the only sound. No matter how she imagined it, regardless of how hard she tried, he was always alone in these futures, there was never another by his side while he battled monsters and struggled to search for answers. She wasn't by his side, there was no one to look after him or, equally, for him to look after. Silver could have flung his return a few further days down the calendar or, though she fought not to think it, the destroyed world could have claimed his life. He could have been attacked, he could have gotten sick, he could have run out of food or experienced any number of tragedies as he tried to understand and unmake their friends' deaths.

Having caught herself dwelling on their situation again, Blaze snarled and pushed deeper into the woods. The walk was very different in the dark, just as Marine had said. For one thing, Blaze couldn't see, and, for another, she felt a whole lot more foolish. Yes, she was heading towards the bluff during the dead of night to do… something. She still wasn't entirely sure what that something was but, assumedly, when the time came she would. No matter how foolish she was being, she was traveling with a-

Blaze froze in place at a certain sight ahead. It'd been obscured by the thickness of the forest's trees but now, just a little closer, she could plainly see light glimmering from beyond a tree. This light wasn't yellow though, it wasn't the torchlight of some alternate walker, it was a painfully familiar shade of aquamarine. No matter how she tried to second guess, Blaze couldn't stop herself.

Stumbling forward and into the clearing, words began to spill from her tongue, "S-Silver? What are you doing out-

Reality stopped the princess before she could finish. That faint hue wasn't ebbing from a psychic hedgehog's hands, nor was it surrounding an object he had captured. Nature had pulled a cruel trick on her.

Firefox fungus; it was a genus of mushroom that shone in the dark with a blue-green bioluminescence. She'd read about it before but never encountered it. This was the sight that would steal Marine's anguish, the beauty of glowing mushrooms lighting the way towards her private place. Blaze could see why it would but, unfortunately, their glow only served to remind her of what was missing. She'd always thought the colour was pretty, homely even. Despite not even remembering him, her bedclothes had ended up his signature cyan and the walls of her room had very almost been painted to match. Perhaps that had contributed to her poor sleep. Still, this radiant plant was an even greater reminder of him.

For a moment, a slave to her tired mind, Blaze found herself leaning down to pluck one of the stems but she quickly caught herself. As she pushed on however, she found that those mushrooms grew evermore common; soon the way was fully lit. To think there were locations like this, both within her kingdom and right under her nose, which she hadn't visited. The duties of a royal were truly bizarre; she was forced to walk some paths thousands of times yet so rarely found had the freedom to visit new places. She was to maintain the peace in others' lives yet live a life devoid of such normalcy; for her, it was always one extreme or the other. Silver's charge was the same yet very much the opposite, fated to roam new worlds until some semblance of calm could be excavated from unending cataclysm. Hers was a life of consistent stagnation while his was one of ever shifting bizarrenesses.

Blaze almost chuckled at that thought; sleep deprivation was doing her mood no favours, she'd already felt sour but now she was self-pitying. He was in danger; the entirety of her worry should have been focused on him… but she'd come out here in an attempt to offload that very worry. This really was foolish; this was the method child had concocted in order to look brave in front of her friend. Throwing a handful of rocks off of a cliff's edge wasn't going to bring Silver back just like it hadn't brought Marine's ship back. Only time would tell whether he'd return to her, in one piece or otherwise.

Would tending his wounds be their new hello? Could she stand to see him like that time and time again, like she had all those days in crisis city? If it meant he'd return alive each time then yes, of course she would, no matter how that pain mounted. Watching this duty tear him apart would surely tear her apart, even after he returned things weren't going to be easy. Still, that didn't change her want. She arrived at the thick ferns, the fungus that grew on them was shining with his colour. Unable to stand the sight for long, Blaze pushed beyond them and stepped into the dark.

Starlight filled the young princess' eyes, the instant one light vanished another had taken its place. A million diamonds, glinting brighter than she'd ever recalled them, set the sky alight. It was the same sky she'd looked upon her whole life but, from the bluff, it was almost brand new. This was the kind of sky Silver talked about so often, clear and perfect for gazing. There were no clouds and no wind; conditions were perfect. If only he was here, she could practically see his smiling face in her mind's eye.

Blaze stopped herself before she could take a rock. She told herself it was because the endeavour was foolish, a waste of time and energy, but, in reality, she'd realised that Marine would notice if some went missing. She had to maintain a strong visage for the raccoon, that came first no matter what. Bowling those stones had seemed cathartic though, it seemed to be a key part of the process. She looked down at her fist and, with little more than a thought, embers pooled in her palm. Perhaps throwing fire was a viable alternative.

Acrophobia bitten back, her right hand set alight for guidance, Blaze slowly crept along the rocky outcropping. Once she reached halfway, Blaze could see the warm light of the docks glittering in the distance; it was so much more visible in the dark. Lights that would draw ships into port looked like mere glowing grains of sand, there was no sign of activity on water or land. She was alone out here; she could feel and do whatever she wanted. No one could stop her, not even herself.

It's said that absence makes the heart grow fonder but, while she knew that to be true, she'd already lost him once and learned the pain of absence. The pressure of their opposing duties made things so difficult; this was the third time he'd left to survey the future, yet it stung far worse than the first. It wasn't just because he was late; no matter how she insisted to herself, Blaze knew that wasn't the case. It wasn't as simple as missing a friend, the hurt wasn't the same. They weren't more than friends, but she needed him here more than she needed a friend; she needed to know he was safe and she needed to hold him in her arms again. Blaze wanted the excuse of his return to tease and dote on him, to make sure he knew how much she cared.

A sigh escaped her throat; she turned back. This was juvenile, embarrassing and tactless. If anyone were at sea, some dark ship in the night or figure on the dock, what would they think? They'd know it was her, these flames were casting a beacon into the night and turning the bluff into a faux lighthouse. What would they think she was doing? Most likely, they'd assume she was defending against a threat and call Gardon to rouse the guard.

Well, regardless of what they thought of her appearance, Blaze's words would be lost to the sea. Even if she was visible, she was free to speak. Facing the ocean again, her gaze dropped to the bluff's edge before her eyes shut tight. Emotions flaring, Blaze threw her arm forward and a bolt of fire jumped free. The shot leapt into the night before spiralling to the sea and fizzling into nothingness. A growl slipped her lips, another fireball was sent to oblivion.

"S-Silver," Embers continued to pour from her fingertips, raining towards the ocean below.

This wasn't unlike when they'd been thrown backwards through time, when she'd found herself on the beach and began to question Mephilies' motives. The immediate dread she'd felt not seeing him by her side, feeling alone and insecure herself while claiming that of him. Despite the size of the world, despite how many people lived in it, they'd reunited so quickly. Surely, he could find his way back to her just the same. Surely, he'd be by her side again soon…

"Silver!" Now flames erupted from her palms, the fire spilled into the air just as they did the depths, "You'd… better come back to me in one piece!" It wasn't a plead, she was demanding it, "You'd better be okay! I'm sure I'm being foolish, worrying over nothing, but it's so hard to believe that! I've already lost you once and I…" The flames sputtered but, as she took another step forward, burst free again, "I can't lose you again!"

Orange light overwhelmed her vision, she could so easily fall but greater fears conquered her acrophobia.

"I don't know how long I can wait; I need you here!" She blindly cried, "I miss having you by my side, I miss sitting together in the library and I need to hold you again. I know you're strong, but I need to know that you're safe! I thought this would be easy, I know we don't have a choice, but it's so much harder than I thought… I-I… I-I…" All of a sudden, her fire ran dry. Just as quickly as she'd been engulfed, Blaze was in the dark again, "I thought this would be easier. I knew it was the right thing to do, so I thought it'd be easy…"

But the right thing wasn't always easy. In fact, for them, it'd always been difficult. This place, this precipice, it wasn't dissimilar to where she'd left him. Was this how he'd felt when she'd left? It had to be close, but it wasn't quite the same. He'd known she wasn't coming back, but she now stood at an everlasting crossroads. No matter how long she waited, no matter how many years, there was always the chance that he'd return. She could be on her deathbed, lost and confused by her surroundings, but she'd still think that there was a chance of his return.

Given a month at most she'd be trying to find some loophole or excuse to slip away and reclaim him. Blaze would inevitably argue with herself that, with the use of the Sol emeralds, she could return to her dimension mere seconds after she'd left but the truth wasn't so simple. If she did get trapped there then two worlds would be in peril, it wasn't a choice she could make no matter how she longed to. Perhaps when others crossed she could beg them to change things but even that was uncertain.

"You're insecure when you're alone," She hadn't said those words in this lifetime. In the moment it was cathartic but those words left her distraught, "So hurry back to me!" A final flaming explosion unleashed as she made that demand, "I don't want to repeat how things were, I just… I just want to hold you again. I miss you."

Blaze had finally admitted it aloud, the true base of her feelings. It was plain and simple; she missed her partner. Tears and sobs finally made their escape as her fists balled against her sides.

Now, having fully unleashed her feelings, the universe seemed to answer her. As she moved to wipe her vision clear a speckle of cyan entered the corner of her eye. Blaze blinked at her glove, certain she'd simply brushed a mushroom, but found the light wasn't ebbing from her. Following the glow towards its source, Blaze found herself looking to the docks. A pillar of cyan energy was flaring towards the sky, it was formed a crackling energy that she knew all too well. It could be replicated by mushrooms but never with such ferocity. As quickly as that glow appeared, it seemed to shrink down and linger at the pier's edge. The docks were too far away for her to pinpoint him but she knew he was here. Silver was safe.

Had she seen her flames? Was his shine in response to that? Brushing away tears with her right hand, Blaze pointed to the sky with her left. A plume of fire, tall and wide, was briefly unleashed from her fingertip. His response was immediate, that familiar light spread across on the docks again but, soon, it was racing across the beach and growing ever larger. Silver was on his way back to her, only natural distance separated them. He was finally home, the world felt like home again.


	36. Making Merry

The world was cold and silent, devoid of even the whistling of wind and crashing of snowflakes. A figure was pacing his way forward without leaving the faintest of crunches. Behind him, an equally muted sleigh was pulled; its golden bells kept quiet by a stabilizing aura. Cyan light flared from both the individual and his toboggan, they did not mingle with the snow but instead hang just above it. Though that coating hid their festive appearance; hanging bells, a stocking cap and a giant sack could be discerned by all zero of the people watching.

A prickly figure, with a stuffed belly and a long beard, was gently gliding through candle lit streets; bringing his hands gesticulate through the air as he conducted tonight's business. His yellow eyes crossed from one building to the other, with every movement his light would shift, and a fairy-tale would become just a little more tangible. Windows were commanded open with no more than a gesture, hearth fires would snuff themselves with the wave of a hand and it took little more than a thought to unlock doors. Boxes, wrapped in shining green and red paper, emerged from his giant bag to slip beyond glass panes and down chutes, sneaking their way into houses by whatever means possible, before their entryways resealed themselves.

Of course, beyond even those presents, there was evidence of his endeavour. The charitable figure could not relight fires he'd snuffed; icicles and snow tumbled out of place as a result of his movements, no matter how he tried to subdue them. Fortunately, the night was bright; moonlight and starlight lit his path better than streetlamps ever could. Not only that, but they obscured and rationalized the bright glow that emanated from his person rather than contrasting it.

Or, well, the glow that had been emanating from him.

A laboured breath smoked into the cold air as the figure's cyan trappings left his person, they barely clung on the trolley behind him. Silver the hedgehog, age seventeen, had stumbled free from his own telekinetic hold. As his boots crunched against the snow covered ground his ears spiked high and his eyes began to scan; he took in both windows and streets, looking for the slightest of movements or the flicking of light-switches. His paranoia proved to be for naught, no movement came.

A wispy sigh slipped from his mouth.

Despite the cold, sweat drenched the hedgehog's brow. As if this overuse of his power wasn't enough to tire him, the hedgehog was wearing a most bizarre outfit; red-green woollen gloves protected his hands and boots with golden ornaments covered his feet but those were the most regular additions. A Santa hat sat securely sat behind his fanned quills, a false white beard hid his muzzle and a red overcoat with golden trestles, while not too bizarre on its own, hid a pillow he'd stuffed over his core in an attempt to emulate a jollier body type.

These factors combined were exhausting him, but he felt the need to keep them up. Allowing his feet to remain on the ground, he tiptoed forward and waved his great sleigh to follow. Sighting another latched window, he willed it to open and sent another present from his Santa-sack to brighten the morning of whoever lived inside. Naturally, he couldn't entirely see what he was doing. Silver tried to set his gifts atop the nearest table or counter, whatever was in reach but, naturally, some had surely landed on the floor. His presents were meant for children, just as Santa's were. Within the boxes were toys that had no hope of ever being sold. They came from another world, just as his outfit and sleigh did. That planet was not dissimilar to the one he now walked but it'd been brought to ruin by a lack of the very force that had just pulled him towards the ground; gravity.

The current state of his world was a most bizarre one indeed, not particularly festive either. Doctor Eggman had created a device that would weaken the earth's gravitational field and activated it from the sanctity of the space colony ark. This had resulted in global devastation; oceans had escaped into the sky and unsecured objects did the same. This, eventually, resulted in the loss of all life; no one was prepared for the change.

By the time Silver had arrived, almost 200 years after the apocalypse, the world had been reclaimed by plants. Reaching vines coated the ground and traced up buildings, giant tubers had been granted time to take form and the only thing still living to feast upon them were gigantic slugs and snails. Those creatures having undergone accelerated evolution as a result of a lack of predation but, fortunately, hadn't become carnivorous. Being able to fly and sustain himself on the plants, Silver had a relatively easy time uncovering the cause of the apocalypse and figuring out how he would solve it, but that hadn't been his only goal.

His world had no people, it had no children to play with toys. Shopping malls and charity shops had been left long abandoned; their goods left to gather dust in a world where no dust could gather. Naturally, Silver wasn't going to grave rob to fulfil his plan, but those items had been left without owners; were it not for him, they'd see no use. He'd managed to find a Santa suit in his size, pulled an oversized sleigh from a display and sewn together a ridiculously large bag to house his stash. In truth, the most time consuming of his endeavours had been wrapping all of the goods. After some debate, he'd settle on gifting one shoebox filled with toys to each household across the Sol dimension's scattered islands. Naturally, even with his powers to aid him, this resulted in a ludicrous amount of packaging; despite how much smaller the Sol dimension's population was than that of his own world's prime, it still meant over a hundred thousand gifts.

He'd completed his journey around all but one of the islands; he was now, steadily, working his way through the capital city of Southern Island. There couldn't be more than a couple hundred presents to go, the end was within sight! Gritting his teeth and waving with his hands, Silver strode forward with what vigour his body would afford him. A list of doorbells informed him of a series of flats, with a swish of his hand the door was unlocked, and he dove inside; waving five boxes to chase up the stairwell and land outside each occupant's door. As the door relocked behind, the psychic sighted a row of homes; their latch windows all shared the same design. Rushing as fast as he could, dragging his haul behind him, he pried each one open with ease and forced a present through every window.

As he began to pant, struggling to endure the heat, the hedgehog finally snatched the pillow from beneath his shirt and stashed it into a garden hedge. Quickly sending parcels in ludicrous directions, he managed to trudge his way into the city centre. The space was marked by a grand Christmas tree, three stories tall and lit by a rainbow of red, gold and silver fairy lights. A marvellous thought managed to slink its way into Silver's head, a method of quickly dispersing what few packages remained. The sleigh was made to park in front of the tree, its red and brown oaken form was freed of garish cyan, before that very colour reclaimed Silver's body. He threw himself into the air, tracing along the trunk until he arrived at the tree's ginormous, crowning, star. Grasping it with his left hand, holding on with what might he had, psychic energy pulled in his right palm.

Squinting to look into the dark, he identified the windows and chimineas of houses he had yet to visit. One house at a time, Silver made openings he could take advantage of. He knew the districts he hadn't visited; he'd charted them before gathering his gifts, but it still took time to make his various manoeuvres. These shifts couldn't have been silent, not in every single case, but soon all of the destined paths had been made available. This was going to be exhausting, but not as exhausting as doing it all on foot.

He gestured down to his sleigh before, in one swift motion, pointing his finger to the sky. Almost instantly, a halo of gifts came to top the festive tree; only one step was left. Heaving a great breath, Silver resumed his conducting. Present after present raced beyond arm's reach, no postal service in any reality was capable of the feat he was performing. Gifts landed on windowsills, on workbenches, on tables and in unlit hearths; joy began to scatter itself across a half mile, ducking and dodging and diving its way into various homes. He gritted his teeth, brought his toes to curl and gripped tighter on the star; giving this task his total mental focus.

His false beard, unfortunately, was swept up in the maelstrom of presents and sent flying into the cyan breeze; luckily, it rushed skyward rather than into one of the houses. Silver continued his gestures, throwing out all manner of points and prods in an attempt to control the very chaos he was whipping up. Eventually though, gradually, the surrounding sky darkened again; his efforts were nearly completed! A bead of sweat slid down his nose and he felt his grip weaken but, using all his waving might, Silver managed to deliver those last presents.

Well, not the last presents but the last of those he'd felt obliged to give.

Heaving a deep breath, shutting his eyes tight, Silver stretched his aura to grasp windowpanes across the entire city. With a thrust of his hand and a smothered roar, he saved all those homes from the creeping of the night's cold; hundreds of entrances were forced to close. Satisfied but thoroughly drained, he draped himself in cyan aura and allowed himself to drop from the peak; it wasn't flying, instead he fell like a feather discarded by a bird. Reacquainting himself with the ground, he stumbled his way over to the sleigh. Between colossal yawns, he could make out the rough shape of the last two boxes within his sack.

Silver found himself unable to move the sleigh but, honestly, its final resting place suited it fine. Abandoned at the centre of the capital city, a great empty sack left flopping over its edge; it could mysteriously vanish tomorrow night. He figured that'd add to the wonder. Fighting his way into the sack, the hedgehog retrieved the two final presents and bundled them beneath his arms. Abandoning his vehicle, taking off on foot, Silver headed towards the home of the final resting child; a youth he knew all too well.

Boots left snow prints until snow gave way to sand, soon he was by the sea; the smell of salt and sound of waves polluted his senses, the lowlight was made darker still by his own lack of power. He could see a hut in the distance, crafted of old driftwood and wrought iron; an orange glow still lit the window. It was both a beacon and a worrying oddity, the girl within should have been long asleep. Another yawn threatened to tear through his throat, but Silver fought it off, changing his approach to avoid entering the house through its front door.

The garage entrance proved easy enough to break into anyway; by peering through its frosted window, Silver managed to grasp the pulley that the sliding panel door utilised and fold back its entirety. As ever, the garage floor was littered with raw materials, rusted tools and half-finished projects but he'd long learned to weave and avoid stepping on anything. But, when he arrived at the home's entrance, the hedgehog took pause. He pressed his ear against the great driftwood slab, listening for anything stirring within. Yellow light spilled from beneath the door, but he couldn't hear anything, no footsteps or speech or even tinkering. Well, the home's occupant wasn't known for sitting in silence.

As gently as he could, Silver turned the doorknob and pushed inside; the home's warmth immediately assaulted his cold fur. A festive interior lay before him; tinsel wrapped around every rafter, bobbles hung from nails crudely hammered into walls and splashes of red and green paint coated the walls. Well, she'd certainly given it her best effort. Slowly scanning the small hut, finding its hammock empty, Silver quickly discovered the occupant; sat in a chair of her own making, directly facing the door.

Marine the Raccoon, age ten, had fallen asleep waiting for Santa. She wasn't bundled in a blanket and she hadn't even changed out of her pyjamas, instead she sat in her usual bright green dress, gloves and boots included. Her arms were folded, and her head slumped, a clear sign that she'd lost a battle with sleep.

Looking past her, Silver was very glad that he hadn't entered through the front door. While she hadn't laid a dangerous trap, Marine had clearly wanted to know when Santa had arrived. She'd attached a bell to the door, set to ring as the door swung open; guaranteeing that she'd notice the arrival of any jolly intruder. If she'd rigged the back door too, Silver had no idea what he'd have done.

Gently creeping past her, Silver took the present from beneath his right arm and set it upright against the door. Ever so carefully, the psychic made sure to flip the present's tag such that it was visible; "To Marine, Merry Christmas, From Santa." Naturally, the other gifts had gone unnamed. Well, save for one other. When the raccoon did awaken, this would be the first thing she saw.

Turning back, he got one good look at the sleeping shipwright. By the occasional twitch of her foot and the odd flickering of her ear, Silver could tell she was dreaming about something. Given that and her uncomfortable position, it was unlikely she'd make it through the night without waking. Smothering another yawn, the faux Santa creeped his way back behind the raccoon and towards her hammock bed. He pulled down her blanket before quickly returning to her side, gently wrapping it across her shoulders in an attempt to provide some additional comfort. He figured she'd probably see it as some extra care on the part of Santa, maybe it'd even make up for missing the old fella.

Well, that and he had got her something she wanted, unlike the random gifts the other children had received. Marine's tools had been in disrepair for a while now, saltwater tended to corrode metal quickly and the raccoon had put her equipment through more than thorough use. Thus, he had packaged her a new toolset and drill; not typical gifts Christmas gifts per say, but what he knew she really wanted. Besides, Silver had got her some more typical presents; Santa was supposed to know better.

As he pulled away, Silver fought to smother another yawn, by this point his head was almost spinning; he'd spent so much energy, but he still had one gift left to go. Unfortunately, this last box was to be delivered on the other side of city. This gift was supposed to arrive at the palace and sunrise couldn't have been far away. He managed to make it halfway across the room before catching sight of something he'd both missed and forgotten, a small collection left on the countertop. A tall glass of milk and a small platter of cookies.

Cookies he'd helped make.

Around a week ago, Silver had made a mistake that he was now atoning for. Marine had asked for his help in preparing some chocolate chip cookies, insisting that they had to be the best they were capable of making. The hedgehog had helped her without really questioning, he'd figured they were just meant to be part of a gift, but towards the end Marine's excitement had spilled over. She'd talked about how Santa was going to love them and that he'd surely bring her a good gift this year. This had made Silver curious, having researched the fairy tale figure before, he'd asked various questions… some of which the shipwright hadn't been able to answer.

Silver had also admitted a couple of things that hindsight and research told him he shouldn't have. He'd told her that Santa had never visited the future, that he'd read stories about him, but they all seemed to derive from children's books and that he wasn't certain that the miraculous figure even existed. These points combined to cause the young raccoon a great deal of confusion and what amounted to disappointment. Questioning her own belief; she'd gotten angry and insisted that she'd stay up to meet Santa, proving to Silver that he existed.

Later that day, Blaze had explained to him why Marine had gotten so angry and consoled him that he'd had no way of knowing any better, but that didn't stop him from feeling bad. He'd left for the other world, promising them both that he was leaving to gather presents in secret and would return on Christmas, only to make this ludicrous plan a reality. He'd made Santa real, even if only in this smaller world.

Swearing that he heard something shift behind him, shaking away his daydream, Silver quickly scoffed the entire platter. Cleaning his muzzle with the back of his wrist, feeling both consciousness and energy return to him as blood rushed towards his stomach, the hedgehog slid his way to the door and quickly out through the garage. As he physically pulled the sheet door down, he noticed that some of the brightness had already returned to his psychic symbols. He had enough juice for this last flight, there was one more person he desperately wanted Santa to visit.

Wrapping himself in cyan light, the hedgehog took to the skies and rocketed himself above the clouds. The sky was still dark, the sun wasn't rising yet, but, given that it was Winter, people would surely awaken soon. He lingered among the cloud layer, obscuring his vision but guaranteeing that he wouldn't be seen, if even a single figure saw him this morning then this illusion was at risk of cracking. Fortunately, even with minimal view of the ground, this was a path Silver knew well enough to perform practically blind.

He broke free from the white cover just a hundred metres from the palace, its recently restored stonework made clear. Dodging between the castle turrets and around its backside, he came to hover above the royal garden before coming to land at a certain balcony. Its glass double doors were shut, the curtains pulled closed, but as he went to psychically create an entrance, the hedgehog found the doors unlocked. He poked his head through the drapes, attempting to quietly make sure the coast was clear, only for a set of amber eyes to rise from a book and ensnare him.

Almost reflexively, he stumbled back and clattered to the ground; quickly pulling the feline's present to his chest in an attempt to avoid crushing it. It was only as he lay there, back throbbing, that he noticed the decorations she'd clearly put up for his arrival. Red ribbons with golden trim lined the entryway and a pair of golden bells hung above its centre. Looking behind himself, he found that holly had been brought to rap around the balcony's guardrail. She'd waited for his return; she'd set all this up.

Before he could get to his feet, Blaze had stepped beyond the curtains and into the cold. Naturally, being pyrokinetic, the change temperature didn't shake her, but great plumes of steam were erupting with each of her breaths. The situation had surprised him, his heart was still pounding, but the combination of the ornaments and a smile on her face managed to subdue him.

"And what time would you call this?" She'd brought her arms to fold across her chest, looking down at him. Unlike Marine, she'd made it into her pyjamas; a button up purple night shirt and a set of baggy, grey, pyjama bottoms.

He couldn't bring himself to rise, a sigh escaped his throat and he broke from her eyes, "I-I don't know if it's early or late by this point…"

"You're coming to bed, so I suppose we should call it late," She mused, reaching down to him, "Where have you been? You look exhausted."

He looked down at himself and realised that, without the stuffed gut and beard, he merely looked festive rather than Santa like. Already though, her eyes had drifted to the box in his hands. As he glanced to check the tag, he found it exposed. By the time he looked back to her Blaze had already followed his gaze. She threw him a curious look, shifting from leading him inside to facing him directly again.

"W-Well, um," She wanted some kind of explanation and if she didn't get it now, she'd figure it out tomorrow when the world was abuzz with talk of mysterious gifts, "After what I said to Marine, an idea came to me. I know Santa doesn't really exis,t but if getting a gift from him would make her happy I thought it was only right to get her one," For some reason, either embarrassment or tiredness or some combination of the two, he was struggling to admit his actions, "The future had lots of abandoned toys, all in good condition, so I boxed them all up and… uhm… delivered them to all of the houses."

Her eyes had gone wide, he felt her grasp tighten, "Silver, what do you mean by all of the houses?"

"At first, I thought just Marine would be enough, then I realised I could do more so I…" The concern on her face was palpable, whether it was at the foolishness of his actions, or the toll they might have taken on his body, Silver was no sure. Regardless, he struggled to give further justification, "I also figured that, since Santa missed you during our years together, he ought to make up for it. It's not the only thing I've got you, I stashed another somewhere in the palace but…" He held the present out to her, "We didn't get to experience the wonder and mystery that's tied to this season, so I made certain that Santa got you something special this year. It's not like all the gifts were hand-picked, outside yours and Marine's they were random, but… it only felt right to…"

She took a step closer, pushing past the red wrapped box and into his soggy form. It was only with her warm touch that he realised quite how cold he was. Wandering through slush and soaring through the clouds had soaked him rather thoroughly. Her warmth almost immediately ate away at that cold, he brought his arm to wrap around her back.

"You're so naïve," The coffee on her breath was blatant, she'd stayed up waiting for him, "People are going to be so confused. I doubt they'll panic, but I'll send out a memo; make it clear that that Santa has actually visited, not some other large man in red."

Silver grimaced, "I'm sorry, I thought-

"Silver," She pulled back a little, still holding him but looking him squarely in the eyes. Her gaze was softer than he'd expected, "You did something good for my world, something ludicrous but ultimately good. Don't you dare apologise," Her hand slipped from his back to the top of her head, prying off his soggy Santa hat before dragging through his quills, "Just, next time, let's do it together. That way it won't come as such a surprise and you won't be run ragged. Honestly, look at you."

"Next time?" As he questioned, she finally tugged him inside.

"This isn't the kind of trick you can pull just once, Silver. People are going to expect it now," The princess flatly explained, "You've put yourself in Santa's shoes."

As Blaze left him, walking to her bedside and drawing up her phone, thoughts overwhelmed him. He hadn't really considered that. Silver had always thought of this as bringing the miracle of Santa Clause to life, not actually becoming him, but Blaze was right. If the miracle happened once, people would expect it again; he hadn't made Santa real, but he'd become a Santa. He'd travelled across this island nation in a single night (albeit, utilising time travel to make the long-distance movements far easier) and delivered presents into each of the houses.

Blaze's voice pulled him from his stupor, "Well, Gardon's already awake and he dared to open his. The news has already started to spread, we can relax," She was smiling at him again, he quickly turned and closed the balcony doors, "I'm sure Marine will run in and wake us up in a handful of hours, we should try to get some sleep at least," She suggested before gesturing across the room and behind him, "If you want, you can put that under the tree with yours, we'll open them when morning properly arrives."

Turning, Silver came face-to-face with a small, very decorated, Christmas tree; a sizeable bundle of parcels piled beneath it. Some of them were addressed to Blaze herself, likely gifts from political figures or castle staff, but the bulk of them were addressed to both him and Marine. One parcel in particular, near the front of the pile, caught his eye. It wasn't addressed to or from Blaze, not like the others. It was to him, from Santa. She'd had the same idea as him, she'd wanted to make up for lost time. This was his first Christmas in the Sol dimension, let alone civilised society; his first opportunity for this kind of thing. While he'd been away, she'd surely been planning for tomorrow.

Not tomorrow, today. He had to be his best for later, both so that Marine wouldn't suspect a thing and so that he could embrace Blaze's efforts to the fullest.

His present set down, a plan in mind to quickly nip out and gather the others that were stashed in the castle, he'd headed towards the door and prepared to wave goodnight only for her hand to catch his again. His brow raised and his head tilted but she just rolled her eyes, unleashing a yawn that was soon echoed by him. He hadn't noticed that the heat rippling off of her had brought him to fully dry, his quills and fluff had frizzed to their maximum. Boots were fought off, he escaped his jacket, and soon the two of them were lying together. Her head found his chest, his chin found her ear and sleep found them both before they could realise it. They were in for an early awakening and a busy day, but they'd managed to spend the first hours of this charitable holiday together, giving the other their whole to make them merry.


	37. Predictions and Presumptions

Sat cross legged at the heart of the palace treasure room, eyes trained on a set of seven multicoloured crystals that were slowly orbiting her body, was one Heather the cat. Her parents, Blaze the cat (queen of the Sol dimension) and Silver the hedgehog (the time traveller who the aforementioned queen had, somehow, fallen for), were presently away from the island. They were using their powers to aid in the repair of a settlement following a storm; many older buildings and homes had been damaged; it was the kind of simple work that their abilities were now mostly used for.

Usually, her mother would simply take the Sol emeralds with her wherever she went; not for use or even so much as safety, essentially just because she could. Last night though, over dinner, the younger feline had so humbly requested, and not at all pleaded, that she could stay and look after the mystic stones. After some debate, her parents more worried about leaving her in the house alone than letting her look after the emeralds, they'd agreed to let the fifteen year old stay in the palace for the next two days as the repairs were made; reminding her that the elder Gardon was only a call away if she got bored or had any trouble.

As responsibilities went, this was a rather minor one. The Sol emeralds hadn't been threatened since before she was born, but, regardless of the task's worth, this was an opportunity to prove herself. If she could manage this then they would surely throw more tasks her way; she'd get to prove her worth to her mother and, almost as importantly, show dad that she wasn't a kid anymore. Despite how foolish Heather knew the thought was, the young feline almost wanted someone to finally come for the emeralds; that way, she'd get to fully prove how responsible she was. If she successfully warded off the first attack on the emeralds then it'd be undeniable, he'd have to give her more tasks and treat her like an adult! It'd be wonderful, perfect even!

Just as delusions began to overtake her, Heather rather quickly caught herself. While she'd been daydreaming, her eyes had drifted from the seven shining stones. Her phone had vibrated no fewer than eighteen times, but she hadn't allowed that to distract her; the feline's mind was her own worst enemy, she knew that her own want of responsibility and delusions of grandeur were the most immature part of herself, but they were just so easy to fall into… especially when she'd been sitting in one spot for what felt like days.

Her parents hadn't told her to do that of course, if anything they had stressed the opposite, but pride wouldn't let her budge. She'd go hungry before abandoning the emeralds, she'd sooner stay up all night than dare to break her watch by sleeping. Well, the latter probably wasn't going to be a problem, as they were set to be home by five, but she was still taking this opportunity more than seriously. Rather than leave the stones in their wall mount, she had allowed them to hover free and around the small chamber; eventually they'd come to orbit her in a very consistent pattern.

It was the guardian's job to not only defend the gemstones, but to harness and control them. Her mother was capable of all kinds of both minor and major feats involving their magic; from simple things like hiding them within her body and calling them free with a swish of the hand to generating portals and great spouts of flame. On and off throughout this day, Heather had been attempting the most minor of those feats; to call an unsecured emerald through the air and into her palm with no more than a thought.

She'd started by attempting to call the grey emerald but, truth be told, it'd reminded her too much of her father. Every time she'd gone to call the stone, she could practically hear her cheering and positive reinforcement. As such, she'd rather quickly turned her attention to the purple stone; after all, she was doing this to and bolster her mother's faith in her capabilities.

The youth's attunement to the emerald wasn't as strong as her mother's yet, transformation was a pipe dream at best, but something as simple as this seemed as though it should be doable. Yes, she could have pulled them towards her from a room away with the use of her powers but that wasn't the same. Anyone could snatch the rocks, albeit perhaps not through the use of psychokinesis, but to move the emeralds with one's will alone was entirely different. It was proof of one's connection to the stones, a sign that their will and that of the guardians were one and the same.

Heather ground her teeth, once again turning all of her focus on the purple emerald as it drifted from behind her and into view. Though her demands had started gentle, she was now mentally shouting at the relic; "Come to me! Fly to me! Come to your guardian! Present yourself Come hither!"

Once again, the Sol emerald drifted beyond the left side of her vision. From deep within her jacket pocket, Heather's phone sounded again; the pulsing shockwave caught her off guard and further soured her expression. She shifted to kneeling, her hands palms pressed into her thighs and she heaved a deep breath. It hadn't even moved this time, it hadn't so much as paused; it was almost as if the relics were intentionally ignoring her, deeming her unworthy. That self-depreciative thought was all the fuel she needed to keep trying, she felt her the symbols on her hands begin to heat as her aggravation grew and her small nose began to wrinkle. Every time the stone passed by, she could feel more veins popping on her forehead and the tenseness in her jaw growing stronger.

These feelings were so strong, so distracting, that it took her to realise; not only was the purple stone not stopping, it, and the seven others orbiting her, had picked up the pace. Her target emerald was entering and leaving her vision at a faster and faster pace, doing the very opposite of what she demanded. They weren't just ignoring her; they were actively taunting her. Whatever spiritual consciousness the stones had was actively rebelling against her, choosing not to heed her word.

"Stop it," This was the first time she'd tried speaking to the stones.

It had an effect but, again, it went against her wishes; the gems were speeding up further, beginning to whistle as they whipped around her.

"Halt, I command you!" She was trying to take on her mother's voice, that of the queen.

Once again, the crystals did not abide her. This was all beginning to dizzy her; she would not dare to leave the emeralds, especially not in their current state. Even if she didn't know how to stop them, today it was her job to protect and tend them. That meant protecting them from themselves.

Before Heather could fully rise, motion blur had started to trail the emeralds, their colours had begun to blur into one. Spitting sparks shot off in all directions, pinwheeling flakes of orange, yellow and red light that either danced into the air or bounced off of the ground. She threw her right hand at the barrier, attempting to catch and force one of the emeralds free and disrupt this chaos only for her power to leave no mark. She knew she'd loosed a psychic push, she tried and tried and tried to unleash more, but they seemed to have no effect. What had once been sparks became flames that fully engulfed the accelerating band and fully repelled her power! She dug in her heels and clapped her hands together like she was trying to crush some wayward fly but again there was no response! They just kept spinning!

"Stop it now! This instant!" Again, her pleads were not heeded.

Terrified and confused in equal measure, with no idea what else to do, Heather coated her arms with her green aura; making them hard and stiff enough that she couldn't move them. She knew that this next endeavour was foolish, but she didn't want to disappoint her parents. She stepped forward to try and break the band directly, but the Sol emeralds reacted to her movement. The flames that had engulfed the stone suddenly leapt to block the entirety of her vision; effectively enclosing both above and below her. Then, taking no more than a second to reach her, the fire encroached inward.

First to go was her vision, her eyes closed as a white-hot flash overwhelmed them. Next to fade was her hearing, reduced to ringing before fading to nothingness as the endless crackling of flames roared. Then, finally, before she fully lost herself; Heather couldn't feel the flames caressing her body anymore. Everything faded so very quickly, one by one her senses were lost, conscious thought became impossible and movement even more so.

That was, until a very familiar sound breached the young girl's ears and seemed to rouse her from some kind of sleep.

"Purrpurr! Breakfast, come on, I made your favourite!"

Before Heather could even process the sound, she felt something surrounding her; far softer and stiller than the flickering flames had been. She was on her back, completely flat; this wasn't just very familiar sensation, it was a very familiar turn of events. That was her dad's voice, he'd let out calls like that every single morning.

Yellow eyes flickered open only to reveal a familiar ceiling; Heather attempted to sit up straight, only to find that a meticulously tucked duvet was in her way. She was in the palace, she was in her bedroom, surrounded on all sides by her green painted walls! She glanced down at herself, patting her body. She was in the clothes she'd been wearing yesterday, though her jacket had been taken from her shoulders and hung on the wall and a quick glance proved that her shoes were just beside them. There were no burns on her clothes, none that she could see or feel at least, and as she forced herself to rise, Heather could feel no soreness. The flames hadn't hurt her, it was as though they'd hardly even touched her… had that all been a dream?

She stumbled to her feet, another glance about herself showed no proof that the past day had happened beyond the fact that she was in bed, fully dressed. Had she fallen asleep in the middle of her task? She rushed across the room and rummaged through her pocket; her friends' messages in their group chat caught her eye but the date even more so. It was Wednesday, her parents had left on Tuesday morning; a day had passed, it couldn't have all been a dream! She sent off a quick apology for her absence and a promise that she was okay before returning her phone to her pocket and, hurriedly, making her way out and into the hall.

It only took three paces towards the staircase for her to notice something was off, there was a bizarre smell in the air; not exactly bad but ever so slightly smoky. It didn't smell like burning food either, it was more of a fragrance than anything else. She cast a glance back the way she came and around five metres back, on the wall opposite her own room but a good metre down from it, was a door she did not recognise. Or, well, a rather peculiar absence of a door. The usual wooden structure that she had thoroughly ignored for her whole life, thinking it just one palace's many pointless rooms, had been replaced with thoroughly beaded strings that hung almost all the way to the floor. The scent was surely coming from that room, had a visitor with some extremely peculiar demands been given lodging?

"Heather? Is everything alright?"

"I'm coming, stop shouting, I'm coming!" She insisted back, pulling her attention from that bizarre doorway and making her way towards the stairs. Regardless of who it was, she assumed that her parents would tell her and knew that it would be rude to try and peer through the curtain.

Soon the scent of bizarre herbs was replaced by more traditional morning scents, that of eggs and other foodstuffs. Given the ludicrous size of the royal dining room, they'd opted to move a smaller table into the castle's overly large kitchen to act as more of a family dining area; a round table with three seats. As Heather pushed into the room, her eyes immediately landed upon her beaming father at work on the hob, clad in his regular cyan apron. For that reason, rather immediately her eyes, raced to try and meet with her mother at the dinner table. The purple feline was in her usual place but, before Heather's eyes could affix on her, they jumped to a sight that almost made the younger cat lose her footing. There were four chairs at the breakfast table, the visitor had joined them, but the visitor had an appearance that Heather could only describe as familial.

"Ah! Dearest sister, I foresaw your arrival in my last dream," The figure proclaimed as she closed her eyes, raised her arms and curled her finger in an almost hypnotic motion. As she did so, a pair of elaborate red symbols pulsed on her hands, "Your rest was fitful last night, was it not? You had a dream that you cannot explain?"

Heather immediately turned to her mother, but the older cat was entirely nonplussed, "Good morning, Heather. I hope it wasn't actually, the pile we found you both in looked especially uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry we were so late last night, it turns out there's quite a bit more work the reports suggested," Dad grinned as he walked past, hovering a plate in front of mum before bending down for a kiss. After that, a plate of pancakes and a small pitcher of syrup were placed at her seat. A seat that was directly opposite this intruder, "It was nice to see you two getting along so well though, I don't think I've seen you snuggling like that in years."

"Y-You put us to bed…?" She managed to mouth, trying not to directly look at the figure.

"Oh, yes," He affirmed, "It seemed too late for dinner and you both seemed pretty deeply asleep, so I thought it was for the best," He nonchalantly responded, taking the seat opposite his wife and gesturing to a stack of his own pancakes, "If you're really hungry, I can just grab something on the good; you can have these too."

Finally, Heather's eyes again came to collide with that of this supposed sister of hers. Alike Heather, this figure looked to be a cat though a much fluffier one; her ears and cheeks were fluffy, and her hair seemed to have been styled into some kind of headpiece, adorned with a small, feathered, gold and red ornament. Her fur was closer to a silver or grey than Heather's washed out purple, though they shared their mother's stark white muzzle. She was wearing what Heather could only think to describe as a high cut, loose and midriff bearing, short sleeved top with a set of curvy, golden, bangles. What's more, this feline looked to be older than her but still much younger than mum. She truly did look like their elder child.

Realising that her family was staring at her, that she was the odd one out, Heather stumbled to the table and took her seat. Her head lowered as she pretended to inspect her food, thoroughly unhungry and truly focused on the girl before her, "No thanks Dad, this'll be fine."

"Is everything okay?" He checked, genuine concern in his eyes, "You look a little tense."

Just coming out and saying that she didn't have a sister would make her seem crazy, but it was entirely true. Befuddlement overtook Heather and, before she could answer, the stranger began a speech.

"Forgive her father, last night's spiritual journey has taken a toll on my dear sister. I'm sure her wits will return with time, her will is simply less powerful than mine," As if to emphasise her point, she stroked both her hands down and along her wrists before raising the right to drag across her forehead as she closed her eyes. That movement of her hand and shining of that symbol raised a spoon to hover in front of her face, cloaked in a red hue, "With time I'm certain she will recover but, for now at least, I beg that you overlook her weariness. To escape this world and one's mortal form is always elevating but rebinding one's spirit to their body is so very taxing, especially with the stars aligned as they are. Be proud of her, please."

"Is that so," Dad seemed entirely unphased by the frankly incredible speech the feline had given, a glance to mum revealed a similarly unreactive expression! "I'm so glad you decided to watch the emeralds together, you two were almost fighting over the position when we left."

Whatever had happened, whoever this manifested sister was or claimed to be, her parents clearly had memories of her; real or fake. Could the Sol emeralds have done this? She'd never heard anything like it. They were some kind of all-powerful being, appearing to be descended from the guardian and her husband and whom they seemed to know to be that. Her posing and pouting and talking so mystically seemed to be par for the course, simply regular to them. Had they been brainwashed by the Sol emeralds? Why wasn't she affected, why hadn't she been made to remember this pale feline?

"My ethereal palace at the centre of the universe is sacred, it was not that I did not want her there but that she could not join me there. From that vantage point, at the heart of all life and nucleus of spiritual activity, I am far better positioned to watch over not only the Sol emeralds, not only our kingdom but all the souls that have and will be," Her right hand dragged through her hair before coming around to position itself beneath the spoon. With no more than a tap of her middle finger to its end, the metal stalk coiled in upon itself. A broad smirk had overwhelmed the unnamed cat's face, her gaze now seemed totally focused on the spoon as she elongated its length only to crumple it again, over and over, "Instead of journeying that far and risking the loss of our dear Heather to the cosmic unknowns, I selected a spot far more tenable to one of her stature."

"Karma, I told you to stop bending those," The queen, looking up from her omelette, scolded her apparently almighty daughter, "You'll use that one for the rest of the week, otherwise you're back to plastic spoons until you show some self-control."

"That heinous material dampens my astral powers though…" She expanded the now thoroughly battered spoon, plunging it into the bowl in front of her. Within it was what looked to be (but, having observed and heard all she had, Heather doubted to be) plain white rice, "To hold it is a blight upon the soul, it pollutes what is divine…"

So, she had a name, Karma. A name that meant fortune, sometimes thought to be derived from prior states of existence and that deeds done in them. She had such a refined and serious name, far more fitting of the emeralds' guardian than one as plain as Heather. She spoke so highly of herself and seemed entirely confident in every word she said, as though she already had confidence in her capacity to conduct all the responsibility that the universe had to offer. Had the Sol emeralds deemed her an unworthy guardian and decided to conjure a replacement? That concept, silly as she would have thought it mere moments ago, fell from her brain and sat like a rock in her stomach; she couldn't bear to look at the pancakes before her.

She threw her dad a glance only to find that his eyes were still on her, the concern was clear; he'd noticed the oddness in her demeanour. Those pancakes really were her favourite, even though she'd often denied it, for her not to surreptitiously nibble was probably looking quite strange. Attempting to dissuade his concerns, she reached for the teapot she'd been too distracted to really notice and poured herself a mug of tea. Without her say, a fast and uncomfortable purr began to bubble from her stomach.

By the time she'd looked up again though, he and mum were exchanging slightly perplexed glances. The hedgehog led the next part of the conversation, "So the repairs are going to take another half day at least, we'll certainly be home for dinner this time, but we need to get going soon. Are you two going to be okay staying here again? Either of you are free to come if you want…"

"Or both, I can just bring the emeralds with me," Her mother suggested, making it clear that she'd identified the tension.

Glancing across the table, Heather found that Karma's eyes were upon her; the supposed older sibling's lips were curved into a positively goofy grin, almost mocking in its content nature. The youngest feline was thoroughly unsure what she wanted to do, and that look wasn't helping. Pressured though she was, Heather took a moment to consider what was the most responsible thing to do. Her parents were clearly unaware that something had happened, whether this was the will of the Sol emeralds or something equally bizarre, she had a responsibility to find out more and make sure she wasn't a threat. But then, equally, if she was going to be around forever then she'd be taking their attention away from her; this could have been one of the few chances she had to be alone with her parents again.

"Purrpurr?" Her dad shifted, his hand had slid across the table to find hers, "Is everything okay?"

Usually she'd bat away his concern, tell him to stop babying her, but now that care seemed a lot more finite; it was being split between two people. She had to get to the bottom of this, "I'm fine dad, geez. I told you to stop using that name," She turned away, feigning her usual dismissal, "I'll stay, I want to prove that I deserve this responsibility. I've done it once; I can do it again."

"Well, if you're sure…" He squeezed her hand just once before letting go, a quick glance proved that the concern still lingered on his muzzle.

"I'll stay too, there are matters of great cosmic importance that require my immediate attention. If I were to leave them unattended for much longer then the cosmos will fall into disarray, I must continue yesterday's work," Various flourishing and wild gestures served to put a spoonful of rice in her mouth as she gave another speech, "If the youngling wishes to join me in this endeavour then I shall keep a watchful eye over her and make certain that she doesn't fall from grace. I'll aid in her enlightenment,

"Perhaps go a little lighter on the enlightenment today, Kami," It took a moment for Heather to register what he had said. Having eaten no more than one of his pancakes, he pushed his plate towards her. A glance proved that her mother's plate was empty, they'd eaten quickly and were about to leave, "I'll make sure that we're around to hear what you got up to tonight, I'm sure you'll have plenty of mystical things to tell us about," Heather was completely blindsided by what the hedgehog did next. He rose from his chair, took one step towards her, and squeezed the older cat's fluffy cheeks. The content, happy, look on both his and her face sent a shock down her tail, "Be good to your sister please, okay?"

Heather was about to boil over. Kami? She had a nickname, and it wasn't nearly as childish or demeaning as Purrpurr? What's more, not only was she a receiver of her father's softness but she was willing to accept it? Willing to return that contact with frankly reckless abandon, showing no signs of embarrassment as he blatantly babied them? That was the last straw, she was staying here and sorting this! Whoever this intruder was, whether they were some spawn of the Sol emeralds or an actual sister that she had somehow forgotten, Heather was going to find out. This had to have an explanation, there had to be some kind of basis for this.

Jealous, bubbling, purrs began to swell as Heather now found herself struggling to keep a straight face. The nickname she'd fought against time and time again now seemed to be a badge of honour that someone had attempted to sully with their own, mocking, recreation. She seemed older, more confident and more powerful; claiming to be capable of feats that Heather thought inconceivable. This bizarre, flamboyant, figure had somehow snuck itself into her life and taken over what was rightfully hers. It made no sense, what had happened yesterday? Were the emeralds really responsible?

"We can talk about it tonight if you'd prefer," Her mother offered, putting a halt on Heather's spite. Having risen from her chair, she stepped behind the younger feline and brought her hand to squeeze her shoulder. That warm contact, somewhat, put her at ease, "In private, I know you and your sister have had friction from time to time. If something's bothering you then we can talk."

So, regardless of what had changed, they didn't get along perfectly. Clearly this was different from usual, their present concern had made that clear, but it'd at least give her an excuse to talk about this if this lasted, "Thanks, mum."

Just as her hand left, Silver rounded the table. He was looking down at her, a degree of uncertainty clear on his face. As his hands landed on her shoulders, Heather couldn't help herself. As embarrassing as it was, the young cat sprung to her feet and managed to return his contact; her arms wrapped behind him as she, very briefly, pulled him in close.

When she pulled back, his face had gone from anxious to a combination of shock and joy. Heather immediately turned away, "W-We'll talk later. Have a good day."

"A-Alright, just call if you have any problems, okay?" He stammered, hands still on her shoulders.

"Fine, dad," She managed to mumble.

"I'll race back right away, I promise!" He was gesticulating now, panicking more than a little.

"I-I said, fine! Don't worry so much," Heather insisted, fists balling, "Just come back on time this time."

It took his wife's arm looping around his to turn him away, even then he kept throwing glances as he used his powers to quickly shuffle crockery into the dishwasher. As the parental pair left the room, though her face was beet red, the eerie silence that followed their departure cut through everything else. Heather slowly turned her attention to the pale feline only to find she wasn't paying any attention to Heather. Instead, now that no one was around to chastise her, Karma had gone back to twisting and untwisting her spoon and had taken a more relaxed, albeit flashier, pose.

Able to steel herself just enough, Heather surrounded her mug in her green aura and floated it towards herself. As it traced through the air, her aura's inherent heat brought her tea back to a more salvageable temperature; it began to steam as it floated. This did seem to get the other feline's attention but, taking her time, Heather took a sip.

By the time her mug had lowered though, the other cat had straightened her spoon and began to happily eat her bowl of seemingly plain rice.

Frustrated, Heather couldn't help but glower, "Who are you really?" Karma looked up from her bowl, that bizarrely common smile still worn on her face, "Or, what are you? I've lived fifteen years without a sister, I know my own life. We weren't together yesterday, what have you done to my parents?"

"Ah! You have seen through my cunning ruse! Very well done, you have passed my first trial," Almost immediately, the opposing cat was on her feet, "Yes, you see, I did not want to cause our supposed parents some great anguish. They believe me to be their daughter alongside you, but the fact is that I, Karma the cat, have travelled here from another world in which I am their only child," As the kitty flourished, her body carried across the room by red light, Heather couldn't help but listen. She spoke with such clarity and confidence that it made her ludicrous words sound believable, "My astral projection has allowed me to slip between the dimensional barriers and arrive in your world; not only have I manifested here, but the universe has opted to prostrate itself and accommodated my splendour. Not only did it conjure my bedroom, but made our parents care unto me as their own and believe a rewritten history. It would seem that I have surpassed even my own lofty expectations."

"That would make some sense, the emeralds were reacting strangely when I saw them last," Heather hesitated, trying not to let herself be tricked but also having no true answer of her own, "You told me that I had a nightmare last night, are you sure it was a nightmare?"

"Hmm," Karma came to land, bringing her forefinger to trace the underside of her chin. Now that she was standing, the difference in their heights and bodies was made all the clearer. She was far more traditionally feminine and a good few inches taller than Heather, "Perhaps to call it a nightmare would be inaccurate, but you befell something strange and terrifying last night, did you not?"

"Well, yes th-

"Shh," Without so much as a warning, the larger cat's open palm was placed on the younger's head and closed her eyes, "Yes, you had such an experience. Hm, the Sol emeralds were in disarray, just as I forecasted. My powers of divination are growing stronger by the second, it's no wonder I was drawn to this dimension. There's such a negative energy and strife within you, it reflects badly upon your future, you are in grave danger…" Her hand shifted, she was now rubbing a circle upon the centre of her forehead, "It's a good thing I decided to visit and save you then!"

"Save me?" Heather questioned, very much unsure how to react to all this contact but unwilling to really swat the elder away. Her cheeks were tinting crimson and she felt her face boil; clearly, this one took after dad far more than she did.

"Well, I chose to project myself into this dimension for a reason, of course. Nothing is without reason, my dear sister from another world. Obviously, I was drawn to here because I have a duty; to make sure you are prepared for your future and impart the boundless expertise that only an elder sister can grant," Finally, her hand left Heather as she brought it to meet her left and clap, "Let's get started! To my divine chamber, brought with me to this brand-new world!"

Just as quickly as her hands had left, Karma snatched up Heather's wrist and began to lead her from the kitchen; abandoning their breakfast. More than a little lost but, as a result of that, feeling less threatened by the older cat, she opted not to resist her pull. It was only when they'd reached the midway point on the stairs that a thought fought its way into her mind and out through her mouth.

"What about the emeralds, we can't just leave them," It sounded like she was whining, surely this borderline adult knew that, "Aren't we supposed to be watching them?"

Karma brought them both to a sudden halt, rubbing her chin.

"Well, I checked this morning and they're still within the royal vault. After my arrival last night, it seems that our parents simply returned them," It was the first relatively normal sentence that Heather had heard from Karma, but it was then followed by, "Though I do not require their ancient energies to fulfil this task, their guidance could be of aid to you! For that reason, let us take a slight detour to retrieve those sacred treasures! I cannot wait to see how you can wield them!"

Regret immediately filled Heather's gut, taking the place of her earlier realisation. She was practically dragged back down the stairs as Karma brought them to the vault. Once past the door and into the reinforced room, Karma released her sibling's hand and formed a cross with her forearms, hooking together her thumbs. The emeralds were within their sealed containers, deeply set into the wall.

"Oh powerful Sol Emeralds, it is I, Karma! My sister from your own dimension requires your aid in preventing future catastrophe! Act as a translator between her and those ethereal influences that are plaguing her!" With a long, circular, wave of her hand, the locks securing the stones were undone. Before they could drift into and around the room, they were overtaken by her red aura and made to float in a cluster above her hand.

It was then, with little more than a look of excitement that reminded Heather far too much of her father, that Karma retook her supposed protégé's hand and resumed her leading. The manner with which the elder had claimed the emerald raised a few questions but, again, her older sister's confidence in all she was doing was making difficult to question her. She always seemed to know what to say and do, answers flowed from her as if she already had them all.

Heather was led back up the stairs and down their hallway, straight past her own door. Upon arriving at the bead curtain though, the older cat halted again, releasing the younger cat and raising a finger to tap her chin.

Just a second later, just before Heather could question her, she spun on her heel to face the young feline, "Wait out here, I will call upon you once I have prepared all that we need. I must set the scene for divine intervention, channel the correct energies into our abode!"

Karma, Sol emeralds in tow, vanished inside for a good few minutes, leaving Heather alone with her thoughts. She was, admittedly, getting swept up in the mysterious cat's bizarre efforts; her confidence and charisma was making it difficult to question her. This Karma seemed to have answers to everything, even if Heather didn't understand any of those answers. She'd heard about affecting timelines from her dad, but concepts like astral projection and divination were entirely lost on her. Seeing as Karma was an older one of their children though, did that mean Heather would soon acquire these skills? Was it just a matter of time? Well, then again, she was still essentially assuming that Karma was their child, apparently the world had bent to fit her in… would it unbend when she left? Was she going to leave?

Before she could really make any decision or ponder to any kind of conclusion, a muffled yet mewling voice managed to sneak its way into her ear, "Enter my domicile, child. I will now impart upon you all that you need to navigate the unseen terrors of your future!"

Heather's fists clenched slightly; she finally took a proper look at the beaded curtain. Rather than consistent beads, it was formed of a mishmash of wooden and metal objects that ranged from pendulums and stars and toggled gemstones to more typical triangular wooden buttons and spherical beads. Remembering a quirk that the cat had mentioned, Heather couldn't help but briefly scan for a plastic piece among the bric-a-brac. Sure enough, not only could she not find any but, surprisingly (considering the mismatched shapes), the curtain made a rather effective barrier. She could tell the interior was lowly lit but, beyond that, she'd have to ent-

"Do not waste my precious time I have left the universe without my guidance to tend you. The cosmos must be missing its almighty medium, left unable to commune its will without its natural mouthpiece. For every moment that passes, a million parallel calamities might rise and dare to contest the great peace!" She called out, indirectly impressing upon Heather that she had an intent to eventually leave. There was truly no threat, she could simply go and learn from a clearly wiser and more confident woman who shared her familial position. The emeralds hadn't stolen her role, they'd given her an opportunity to better embody it!

She used her right hand to peel back the bead curtain… only to reveal more curtains, this time formed from various throws and blankets which were hung from the ceiling, either alike trestles or freely. Though it was dark, the younger feline could make out a veritable mismatch of patterns and colours; floral swirls, psychedelic blotches, hypnotically patterns and beautifully sewn shapes were all visible, even from the entryway. Not a single wall or window was visible. The change in floor also shocked her, going from hardwood to incredibly plush carpet. That switch also prompted her to look down and discover quite how cluttered the floor was, littered with not just carpets and mats but, more interestingly, thick couch and bedroom pillows; many of them had books, spent incense stands, ornaments and objects set atop them.

Heather had no idea if this room was always like this or, given that Karma was psychic, she had very quickly spruced it up in preparation for this meeting. Regardless, awed at her surroundings, she began to awkwardly wade through the second barrier. Once she'd passed through there, finally, Heather could see some proper light; backlit behind what seemed to the final wall of tapestries and blankets was Karma, her fluffy silhouette unmistakable as it was framed by blue lights.

"Come, child of this dimension, join me in my chamber of enlightenment."

Unable to gleam anything about her mood or intent, the purple feline hesitantly peeled back a tapestry to reveal her pale counterpart, sat in a meditative position with her eyes closed and hands clasped with her fingers interlocked. The space she was stepping into clearly made up the bulk of the room, throws and blankets formed a lower ceiling, but a large mattress filled the area's centre and pillows were scattered around it with more specific and specialised trinkets. One of them, that she had to fight not to chuckle at or look upon for too long, consisted of seven twisted spoons arranged in a wide circle atop a spiral patterned pillow. She managed this by catching sight of the seven Sol emeralds, pressed on a larger and more ornate pillow. She was treating them with carefulness and dignity, as a guardian should. Candles lit by blue flames were spread across this internal area, creating a state of lowlight.

Once Heather had stepped fully inside, before a word could tumble from her lips, Karma's eyes flickered open. Her hands shifted, going palm to palm with the left's fingers pointed towards her and the right laid across it. Her symbols, like intricate henna tattoos, twinkled before she turned right and dashed her top hand along the lower. With this movement, a billowing burst of blue flames exploded from her hands and traced across the room; licking the tips of some perfectly positioned incense before smothering itself in the air. She turned left and the motion was repeated; again, three pillars of incense were sparked alight before the bright blue flash of flame faded to nothing. Then, the elder sister turned to look at Heather. Before the younger cat could even process it, Karma's right hand raced across her left and another breath of flame shot so very close. Instead of setting her alight, the fire perished in the air before her and set aflame a final incense pyre. That done, she turned her nose to the sky and reclosed her eyes.

The sudden surge in the aroma of incense brought Heather's nose to crumple and surely showed on her muzzle but, despite that change in expression, she was thoroughly impressed. Heather's powers were an unruly combination of her parents'; she could lift things telekinetically, but her grasp imparted a boiling heat on all she touched with it. This child of her parents, hailing from another world, had successfully acquired both of her parents' powers; Karma could conjure flames and, as was displayed with a slow wave and flourish of her right hand, shift the world through psychokinesis.

From positions across the room, both beneath and atop the various throws and pillows, a scattered deck of cards individually took on a cloak of red light and hovered to her. In a matter of moments, they piled themselves atop her left palm before proceeding to shuffle with little more impetuous than the repeated curling and uncurling of her right forefinger. The deck was far bigger than that of a traditional deck, perhaps even three times what was in a standard card box. Karma looked at total peace, despite her use of flames in what was clearly a very enclosed space and the numerous flourishes that she would freely throw to flavour even the smallest of actions.

"I have already foreseen all that was, your true past and our present alike, now we shall see all that will be," She half shouted, half chanted, as the cards began to shuffle not just in terms of order but top, some inverting as they re-entered the deck. It was only as she stopped that her posture slumped, eyes flickering over and meeting with Heather's. The pale feline's head tilted before, with a smile and vigour in her voice, she repeatedly smacked a spot on the mattress in front of her, "Well, come on! Take a seat!"

The space was just a little limited, the triangle on incense burners that Karma was sat at the bottom of did only leave some space for Heather in the middle, but she didn't feel as though she was in a position to complain. Awkwardly stepping onto the low bed and waddling around the incense stand, trying her hardest not to rock it, she managed to reach the central point and drop to sit with her legs crossed.

Almost immediately, Karma erupted into another speech, "Now that we know that you will be facing trials, set upon you by the cosmos itself, we can try to determine the nature of the calamities you will be facing! Attune yourself with the universe, open your third eye and swell your soul to crush away any hesitation or fear that your heart might be harbouring!" She counted upwards on her fingers; one, two, three, four, five cards fluttered from the deck before slapping themselves face down on the mattress, "Chose three of these cards and, from them, I will determine the challenges you face and harness my extrasensory perception to determine the best course of action!"

Heather tore her eyes from the older feline, who was currently engaging in some form of rhythmic wiggling, and turned her attention to the five choices in front of her. Curiously, despite being of roughly the same size, they all seemed to be from different sets. Some of them were older, weathered by tea stains or folded or torn, while others looked brand new, the laminated backs reflecting the candlelight. After a few moments of consideration, Heather tapped the card on the far right, it had a small crease on its bottom right corner but was otherwise unspoilt, the centre card, which was marked on its bottom right corner by a tea or coffee stain and the card one left of the centre, it had a bizarre puncture hole through its middle.

Karma nodded sagely, flipping the first card. Upon it was a depiction of a white crescent moon on a black background. Beneath the celestial body was the number eighteen, written in ancient numerals. Heather stared at it for a moment, bringing her brows and nose to scrunch. She'd never seen a card like this before, she had no idea what it could mean, but she felt the need to say something or make some kind of impression. A glance was thrown in the Sol emeralds' direction but, as ever, they seemed entirely unwilling to cooperate with her plight. Looking to Karma, Heather found a small smile on her face; the older cat's tail was playfully batting back and forth but, the one-time she'd like to have an explanation forced upon her, the pale feline stayed silent.

"Does it mean," Heather balled her hands against her knees, pausing and staring even more intently at the card, "Because the moon comes out at night, does it mean something's going to attack me in the night?"

"Oh, dear sister, you are thinking far to limitedly! Seeing with your eyes, thinking with your mind, not stretching your soul in the least. Forget the physical, embrace the spiritual, the truth is present within you; I can see it, the emeralds can see it, you must simply manifest it! Channel your inner self, forget your plain self; our psychic powers are proof enough of our divine potential. You must simply let it out!" Heather proceeded to stare at the card again, taking what felt like hours but could be minutes. Eventually, a red aura snatched it from before her; it now spun on Karma's fingertip, "Look at the moon in this sky, isn't it so alone? The sky around it is dark yet entirely without stars, those glistening wonders that one might read to discover other untold truths! Think of the moon as you, central to all the cosmos yet in a void of nothing, what does the lack of stars suggest about your future?"

"There… being no one around me?" It clicked, "That I'll be alone! Does this mean that I'll finally have more responsibility, that I'll have to work alone?"

"Exactly! Not only will I leave you with time but, in time, you will have to do more and more on your own! Your spiritual questing will take you to a place you cannot bring others; have you perform tasks and make decisions without the aid of family or friends," Her finger left the card but it still hung in the air, the lowlight of her blue-flame candles entirely contrasting the red of her psychic aura. Every third or fourth word from her mouth seemed to have an assigned gesture or come with some kind of quirk in movement, they were so hard to keep up with but Heather was thoroughly enamoured, "Though you might long for responsibility now, the loneliness that comes with it will bring you a great deal of strife. This is why spiritual learning is so important, you must be able to commune with forces across your universe and foretell truths that others cannot! Embracing your astral self will eliminate this issue, it'll make it such that you are never a moon hanging alone in an empty sky!"

Given the monochromatic nature of the card, Heather hadn't even considered that the moon was against a black sky. A lot of what Karma was saying made sense, Heather was getting older and the responsibility she sought was becoming more of an inevitability, but she hadn't really considered how the pressure of responsibility might affect her. She'd been so busy clamouring for responsibility that, as yesterday had essentially shown, when she had it, she didn't quite understand what to do with it. She'd sat still for hours, not intending to eat or sleep, with her parents even arriving late; there was no way she'd have been able to endure. Then again, while some parts of Karma's explanation made sense, she had no idea where to start with her solution.

"How do I do that? You make it sound so easy," Heather questioned, "I don't know anything about souls or spirits or… cosmic energies?"

"Daily meditation is key, consistently tempering and growing one's soul to the true height of its potential! Surrounding oneself with treasured items and relics can help too, their energy will naturally ebb and flow into all that surrounds them!" As if to illustrate this point, Karma had her arms perform simultaneous flowing motions, "Once your spiritual self outgrows your body, you'll be able to extend your influence beyond it. Perhaps, when your much older, your essence will outgrow the confines of your universe, just like mine has!"

"I've never meditated before, my spirit must be tiny," The purple cat conceded, "How do I even… go about doing it?"

"Oh! Meditating is easy, you just sit yourself still and focus on the cosmic energies flowing around you; putting yourself in a prime position to receive and transmit spiritual messages," The first half of that explanation seemed doable, the second half far less so, "Once you've got it down you can move onto yoga, strengthening the soul and body together bolsters the growth of both," It was at this point that Karma seemed to notice the perplexed grimaced on Heather's face. The older feline's shoulders relaxed, her hands found her knees and back straightened, "Come on, I'll show you. You're already in the right position," The white cat's eyes closed, she breathed a deep breath through her nose and gently blew out a long exhale, "Now, just like me. Close your eyes and open your mind to past, present and future; conduct their energy through your very being."

Heather immediately assumed the position, stiffening her back and letting her eyes close... but, beyond that, she had no idea what to do. In all of her readings and study, through all her talks with her mother and father, she'd not once heard of any of this. There'd been no meditation practice, no books on spiritual or cosmic energies and, most certainly, no talk of yoga. Her mother had done ballet as a child, did that yield similar results? Apparently, it was about nurturing and empowering both body and mind as one rather than the actual activity itself. How was she supposed to open her mind and conduct energy? Was she just supposed to think abou-

"Oh yes, I can feel the spirits now, they are among us! Powerful essences are drifting through my being, imparting upon me the ancient wisdoms that will arise in this next cycle," Heather's eyes shot open.

Karma was sat with her eyes still closed, a content smile on her face. Every so often her tattoos would pulse, unleashing a ripple of red light with no discernible cause. In the wake of her shouting she had begun to hum, bobbing and weaving her head from side to side. She looked entirely content, as if she was succeeding in her endeavour. Heather tried to close her eyes and focus again but, finding she heard or felt nothing, her eyes reopened to stare at the pillow with the Sol emeralds sat atop it. The seven stones seemed entirely uncaring about their endeavours but, admittedly, Karma had said she didn't need them. But, then again, did that imply that they could be used to help?

The elder cat only seemed to stop, cracking an eye open, when she seemed to notice that Heather hadn't joined her in humming. Karma's face fell for just a moment, almost bordering on a pout, before springing into a manic grin, "Here is the most basic proof of my cosmic wisdom! Your next card is the queen of diamonds!"

She sprung out of her meditative pose, throwing her hand forward and flipping the card with a wave of red psychic energy. The candlelight flickered in response to the force but, once Heather's vision had adjusted, she found that her sister was correct. It was a typical queen of diamonds card, slightly spoiled at its corner. It was rather bizarre, considering the prior card's more blatantly occult nature, assumedly the many decks of different sorts had gone into Karma's composite one. The moment that Heather laid eyes upon the picture, she had an idea of what it might mean.

Heather hazarded a guess, "It's the queen of diamonds; so, if the diamonds are the Sol emeralds… does this represent my mum?"

"Ah, so some of the energies did penetrate your subconscious! Very good, why do you think you drew her from the deck?" Karma questioned, her smile growing even wider.

"I'm not sure," Heather admitted, briefly breaking their shared stare but quickly reclaiming it, "I want to make her proud of me, I want her to give me more responsibility, could that be what the card represents?"

"Very well done! You're oh so very close!" She didn't use her powers this time, instead holding the card between her forefinger and thumb, "The suit is that of diamonds, if it was just about your relationship then it would surely be the queen of hearts. The forces have whispered to me and signalled that the Sol emeralds themselves will cause the unease between you two."

Heather considered that, focusing on the card and thinking as hard as she could. It didn't seem impossible, it didn't even seem unlikely; both of her parents had tried to keep her from responsibility, promising it to her when she was older and asking that she enjoy her childhood, but, while dad relented when she insisted, mum was difficult to persuade. The queen was the biggest barrier between Heather and the responsibility that she desired, the responsibility that came with being the Sol emeralds' guardian.

"I think that makes sense," She mused, still half mulling it over, "But how can I fix that? It's not like working alone, I can't just train this problem away. It's personal," Her right hand clutched at her left elbow, her vision dropped, "I know my mother wants what's best, dad certainly does too, but what I want is to be depended on. They're making things too easy for me."

A repeated, light, tutting began to sound from in front of her, "You saw so far, but not nearly far enough. You still have so much to learn," The larger cat began another speech, "If you prove yourself to be worthy then responsibility will be thrust upon you, the universe will impart responsibilities upon you. Take me for example," Her hand came to her clavicle, she was smiling with pride, "I am the centre of my universe, the enlightened soul that acts as a beacon for all life. People come to me with problems and I help them, I give them insight or use my cosmic powers to better their lives! Through the honing of my mystic potential, I have forced myself into a position of duty. They cannot help but rely upon me, I am so very needed on a universal scale. You must temper yourself, make yourself deserving of these things, you cannot simply force it."

The weight had returned to Heather's gut. After a few more moments of pouting, some words stumbled free from her lips, "I didn't feel anything when I meditated earlier, was I doing it wrong?"

Karma let out a hum as Heather's head lowered, her last expression a thoughtful pout as she brushed her tufty cheeks. Before she could have much time to mope or think, there was a flash of red just beyond the younger feline's vision. Before she could really question it, something slipped over her head and came to rest on the back of her neck; Karma's closed fist, holding something attached to a thin but coarse rope, entered her vision. Naturally surprised, Heather looked up only for Karma's hands to shift and plant down on her shoulders.

"Relics and trinkets can help; they'll allow you to unlock more power subconsciously. I can't part with all of my treasures, but I'll bestow upon you…" Karma's face twisted for a moment as she hesitated and struggled with the name, Heather glanced down to the centrepiece of the necklace she'd been adorned with. It a metal sun of some sort, dirty bronze in colouration, with eight flame tendrils billowing out from it and a peaceful face at its centre, "The Mark of True Insight, an ancient keepsake that once belonged to a powerful oracle. I salvaged it from a Babylonian ruin on the far side of the world, having sensed it calling to me many moons prior."

"Th-Thank you?" She stammered.

"Wear it for as long as you feel you have to, only you will know when its use is spent," Before Heather could question that, Karma's right hand shifted to top Heather's head and push down her vision, "Now, let's try again. Work with me, you can do it, reflect on the universe around you and learn its many secrets! Channel that energy and tell me what your next card is!" It took her a moment to process but, eventually, Heather took the meditative pose, "Are your eyes shut?"

"Yes," She truthfully replied.

"Focus on the talisman, picture it in your mind, give it all of your attention and break down the walls between its spiritual essence and your own!" The supposed sage demanded, speaking with her usual overoptimistic whimsy.

And so, Heather attempted to meditate once again. Picturing the joyful, serene, face of the bizarre pendant in her mind, she tried to open her perception to anything else in her vicinity; some kind of noise, some kind of vision, some kind of contact. The only thing she could sense was the still overwhelming fragrance of incense and her elder's palm atop her head. She tried to hum, attempting to drown out the awkward silence, but the sound came out raspy and hesitant. This wasn't working.

"That's it child, keep going! I can feel you doing it. Yes, yes! Your spiritual energy is flowing free," Karma promised, contrasting Heather's internal monologue.

Heather's eyes flickered open, but she kept humming, trying to save face. With the eyes to the floor, she plainly saw as a tattooed hand reached down and picked up the final card; the black backed rectangle with a puncture hole through its centre. Heather was certain that meant judgement was on the horizon, she was about to be asked about the card's depiction.

Her humming stopped, and she quickly raised her head, "I'm sorry Karma, I couldn't see it."

"A-Ah," The feline stammered for the first time since Heather had laid eyes on her, Karma's hypnotic movements at first looked to be a fast fumble before her grin returned and she leant back, taking a lounging position, "W-Well, in this case, I think that's quite alright. This is a rather mysterious card, a difficult one to discern with a rather personal meaning."

The source of her attempted divination coated itself in a red aura, fluttering through the air to land again at Heather's knees; face up, it appeared to be a series of black splotches on a white background. It was roughly symmetrical, it looked like someone had thrown ink blotches onto a white card, folded it symmetrically and punched a hole through its centre. A large circular blotch engulfed the hole and, surrounding it, were small lines that shot off and faded in every direction.

"What… is it? I don't know what I'm looking at," Heather couldn't help but tilt her head.

"Exactly the point, it is a card that's nature depends on the beholder. Different people will take away different things from that inkblot, what do you see?" Karma honestly asked.

The young psychic took in the card again, mulling it over for a few moments. To be honest, it didn't look like much of anything to her but, at a stretch, "It could be an explosion? A blast of some sort?"

"An explosion…" She hummed, "I don't really see that, but if that's what you see then that's what you see! Now, what could that mean? These ones are always just a little tricky, I can't impart their knowledge on others; people have to derive it for themselves."

Grasping her new talisman, Heather squinted harder at the card. It could have been literal, but the prior readings had suggested otherwise. What could an explosion represent? Anger? But she wasn't angry at anyone. This was meant to represent a trial in her future, she didn't think that she had any tenuous emotions to control. Had anything exploded recently? What-

Something had exploded recently. Very recently.

"I'm going to struggle to master control over the Sol emeralds, I think that's what it means," Karma's ears perked up but the realisation had slugged Heather in the gut, "All that happened last night, the emeralds caught fire and engulfed me within a sphere. I think that's what this is. The circle is what trapped me and the lines are the flames and embers blasting off of it," Heather threw a glance to the emeralds themselves, those which had sat entirely unmoving for this entire endeavour and offered no guidance, "I've got so much still to learn."

Rather quickly, Heather found herself caught in a vice like grip that, though she didn't try to resist, she knew she couldn't break, "Well, now you know how you should build and mature yourself. You've got tons of time my dear, and a universe filled with possibility!" The taller feline pulled back; their eyes met. Even with the disappointment still brewing in her chest, the sudden contact was thoroughly embarrassing. Despite the redness on Heather's face, Karma went on, "Maybe you aren't as naturally spiritual as me, but I'm certain you'll get better with time! This is your future, not your present, you've still got time to attune yourself! My divine intervention has simply made so that you know what to anticipate. Begin your training, learn to master your spirit, you have the power deep within you!"

"I suppose that's true," Heather managed to sigh, prickled slightly red by contact but enduring, "I don't know when these issues will arise but… as much as I don't want to admit it, I'm still young."

"Exactly! Amassing these powers takes time," Karma insisted before quickly changing the conversation, "Now, let's do something fun. This palace is quite like my own home, but I know one room that while be especially different."

It took her a moment to put two and two together, "You want to see my bedroom?"

"Actually, I have already foreseen the entirety of your bedroom; there are some curious matters beyond your door which have drawn the attention of my third eye," Karma explained in a fashion that Heather was becoming bizarrely desensitised to, pulling back ever so slightly, "The universe should hold for a few scant moment without my attention; during our time together I have foreseen how time will ebb and flow, and have determined that all will be well. So, if you would lead me?"

Heather gave it a moment before, awkwardly, answering, "You'll need to let me go first…"

"A-Ah, yes! Of course!" The older cat pulled back fluttering her hands and using her psychic powers to gradually smother the various candles and incense towers that surrounded them.

Heather awkwardly rose from the bed, stumbling a little atop her squishy mattress, and began to push her way through the various curtains. The bright light of the hallway was almost blinding but, sure enough, Karma followed her out and free; stretching and flourishing as she left the room.

"Ah, yes, my spiritual energies feel restored. I'm ready for some more fun, let's see what your room has in store!" That hadn't been fun for her? She seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the entire prediction, "I can't wait to see it with my eyes rather than my mind!"

Unsure why the older cat was so excited for what was a very plain room, Heather pushed open her door and waved Karma inside. The room was tidy, its mauve carpet spotless and numerous bookshelves neatly filled. Her desk was nearly laid with jotters and notebooks, her walk in wardrobe was surely internally neat and there were a few boxes stashed beneath her bed.

Despite how plain the whole space was, Karma was thoroughly marvelling at it; she'd taken her chin between her thumb and forefinger, stroking it while she paced in a wide circle. It was only as Heather closed the door behind them that something seriously caught her eye though. Without a word or even blinking; Karma rushed past the younger feline, tugged her jacket from its hanger and garbed herself in it. The dark green bomber coat was usually just a little big for Heather so, while it didn't remotely match Karma's top or haram pants, it sat on her shoulders perfectly.

Granted, Heather wasn't really considering that as her cheeks flared and her jaw hung agape, "W-What are you doing?"

Karma popped the jacket's collar, throwing the youth a look that could only be described as smug, "Blending in. Being in a new dimension means I need to take on new fashion, this looks very trendy."

Her older sister then proceeded to walk across the room, a certain bounce in her stride that hadn't been before. Having never encountered this kind of interaction, Heather didn't have any idea how to react outside simply watching as she made her way over to the room's desk and started to rummage through a drawer. She'd mentioned some curious matters that required her attention, were these them?

"Are you looking for something specifi-

"How do I look?" Having searched through the drawers, Heather had uncovered a set of black sunglasses and popped them on in an attempt to create some kind of tough-guy look.

Having never really given compliments, especially not under this kind of pressure, Heather stammered, "N-Neat, I guess?" She shook herself out of her stupidity, "Are these the objects that were drawing your attention?"

"Hmm," Karma threw her arms out, letting her tattoos flare as she cast various symbols into the air. Coming to a sudden stop, she shrugged massively, "Nope! I don't think so."

"I see…" Before Heather could pry further, Karma was rummaging again; digging through the drawers beneath her bed.

"If you ever find the power to visit my world then you can try on some of my garbs. In fact, I believe they'll help to heighten your spiritual learning even further! They've been around me for so long, my spiritual energy has undoubtedly woven itself into the stitching. A few weeks wearing them, and you'll be much stronger," Heather suggested then promised as she searched through folded jeans in vain.

Heather looked the older feline up and down one more time. She hadn't really considered it until now but while their shoulder span and many proportions were similar, Karma was rather curvier than Heather; this meant that, while she filled out that top comfortably, Heather was certain wearing such a shirt would only end in disappointment and embarrassment. Even if she didn't know anyone in her dimension, the thought of wearing that in public bordered on surreal.

"I-I think I'll be okay, I'm glad you like them," Heather edged a little closer, looking over the older psychic's shoulder, "What are you actually looking for?"

"I'm not entirely sure but, apparently, you have a very well-guarded secret in here. I've not quite had enough time to home in on this universe's flavour of energy, things that people are trying to hide are always harder to derive," Karma enthusiastically explained, switching box, "There's at least one object tied to it, in here somewhere…"

It took a moment of pondering, Heather really didn't have any secrets that she thought could be cosmically important, but there was one, rather embarrassing, thing that came to mind. She awkwardly shuffled to her walk-in wardrobe, dragged the door open and wandered her way towards the back. It wasn't giant, only a couple meters deep, but there was a shelf on the back where she kept most of her sports paraphernalia. On the ground beneath it was a set of hockey pads, once they were pulled back; Heather's secret was revealed. Stashed beneath the armour were two boxes, unremarkable and brown with their dimensions no larger than an average pencil case. She picked them up, face surely glowing fully red, and carried them out; Karma was already waiting for her.

"I-It's childish that I have these, let alone hide them, but they make me seem so immature…" She held out the left box, her older sister took it and immediately opened the top.

Within the box was a white paper bag and within that, rather than anything more nefarious, were roughly thirty raspberry bonbons. Heather flicked open the remaining box, revealing it was entirely filled with the same candy. These were sweets she'd bought on her own and hid from her parents, not because they wouldn't let her have them but because she didn't want them to know she had them. Liking sweets was a childish thing after all, irresponsible too as due to their impact on health.

"Oh," Karma's face fell, "Really? That's it? Your biggest secret is just some sweets?"

"Yes," Closing her box and avoiding Karma's eye, "Yes, it is."

"What's that noise?" Heather's face was growing hotter by the moment, explosive purrs were breaking through her chest, "W-Wow, are you okay? You look like you're burning up, has doing this unlocked some kind of massive spiritual energy?"

"I'm fine," She huffed, right fist tightening around her box while she reached out with the left, "You can have one if you want, I don't care, can we please just put them away."

There was a small shuffling, the sound of crinkling paper, but the box was quickly thrust into Heather's empty hand. Daring to glance at Karma's face, the older cat seemed to just be wearing her usual smile; it was like she was constantly half in and half out of her own world. Heather couldn't even look long enough to determine whether she was eating a bonbon.

"P-Please excuse me," The younger princess muttered, ducking back into the closet.

Once she'd reached the back and stashed her sweets, Heather took just a moment for herself. She had a lot to reflect on; the surreal nature of this morning, the emotional roller coaster she'd been on, apparent powers she'd soon unlock and the future trails she was supposed to face, it was a lot to think about.

Unfortunately, she didn't receive the time she needed to think about all that. An earthquake suddenly tore through the palace, not violent enough to tear Heather from her feet but strong enough to the hanging outfits around her and topple the paraphernalia on the shelf above her. The moment that the shaking stopped, not even taking a moment to reorganise things, Heather rushed out of the closet only to find Karma with her ear pressed up against the bedroom door.

She turned back, finger atop her lips, "Something most bizarre is happening, there are six souls on the other side of this door."

"Six souls, you mean there are six people out there?" Heather managed to half whisper, tiptoeing her way toward the door, "Th-The Sol emeralds, they're still in your bedroom. If they've come for them then-

"These souls have a very familiar frequency, it's as though I've detected them before," Karma mused, closing her left eye as she pushed harder against the door, "Perhaps I've even been in their presence, how strange…"

"We need to do something, the palace can't just-

"Ah! Dearest sister, I foresaw your return in my last dream!" That phrase, shouted from the other side of the door, was familiar. No, not just the phrase; the voice it'd been uttered in too. Heather threw a glance to Karma only for her to return it, head slightly tilted.

"Oh, give me a break, now is not the time for your nonsense! I had no idea what had happened to you," That voice, that cadence, was familiar in an even more bizarre way. It took her a moment to realise, but that was Heather's own voice.

"What are you talking about? For us to return at the same time, of course this was fated! There was nothing to worry about," That Karma-like speaker insisted, "Oh! And most humble greetings to you too, otherworldly parents! Our meeting was destined too, of course!"

"Hello, Karma. Well, I assume your name is Karma, you're clearly not our one thoug…" That was her dad's voice, that was Silver's voice! What was going on? "I wonder where she could have got to?"

"Don't worry, I've got an idea. Even if we don't know where they are, we can at least let them know that we're here…" That was her mum's voice now, were more parallel families arriving? What could-

A sudden guitar riff blasted between the two cats, the surprise sent Heather stumbling back and, simultaneously, Karma further against the door. The sound was exploding from the princess' jacket pocket and it was a sound that younger knew exceptionally well. That was her ringtone, it wasn't just ringing in monotone; it was ringing in stereo. Her mobile phone was receiving a call from both within her pocket and beyond the door. Shuffling sounded outside the door; footsteps were approaching. A glance to Karma found her fumbling for the phone until, eventually, the small device was presented to Heather. Her mum was calling.

The young feline pressed the green button and the ringing beyond the door ceased, "H-Hello?"

"Heather?" There was a knock at the door, they'd evidently heard the ringing, "Are you in there? Is someone else with you? It's your mother… your dimensionally correct mother, rather."

Catching the look on Heather's face, and likely overhearing the conversation, Karma quickly tugged open the door. There, stood in the doorway, were not only two sets of her parents but a second Karma, beaming as usual, and another version of Heather herself; arms folded and looking away. The resemblance was impossible, that was a face she'd seen in the mirror so many times.

Before she could even question what was going on, both versions of her dad almost crashed into each other as they forced themselves through the doorway to hug their daughters. Given the tightness of space in the entryway, embarrassedly, Heather managed to push her way out and into the hall. She heard Karma and her dad following behind, acting as mushy as she had with her actual father… or at least, the father she'd thought was her actual father? She didn't have a lot of time to dwell on that though because, besides the sight of her mother, two things more matching things entirely consumed her focus. To the right of her, closer to where she and one of the Silvers had ended up, was a crackling and pulsating orb of fire around two metres high and wide. To her left, further down the hall, there was an orb the exact same, letting off an equally subdued crackle as it pulsated and glowed. It took a moment to click, glancing between two sets of her parents, but those orbs were just like the one that had consumed her yesterday.

"What's going on? Why are there two of you and…" Heather hesitated, briefly ending up eye-to-eye with her double before the counterpart broke the gaze, "Two of us?"

"I believe that would be our fault," The other Heather, throwing a grimace at the second Karma, "In this dimension, Karma and I are siblings. When we were guarding the Sol emeralds, just as you two were individually, we had… a bit of a falling out, and the emeralds seemed to react to that. Before we could understand what was happening, we were dragged into a dimensional switch," A glance to the Blaze beside her prompted a nod, implying this was all true. Heather's twin pointed to the Karma that Heather had come to know, "I took the place of that version of Karma, while my sister took your place. I assume, your parents quickly noticed the swap and went about investigating the source and reversing it, just as Karma's did for me."

"That'd be correct, yes," Blaze the cat, the one who apparently was her mother, confirmed. It was only now, at this distance, that Karma noticed the bags beneath her parents' eyes, "Our, well, alternate daughter was exhausted last night, we found her collapsed on the floor and set her up in one of the spare rooms. I began to work with the Sol emeralds even before she awoke but, once she was up and full of energy, we managed to locate this dimension and create a portal to it."

"Wait so… this isn't my home universe?" Heather looked to Karma only to find a confused look on her face, her forefinger raised to her lip as though she was deep in thought. Pointing to her and turning to her double, Heather asked, "It didn't change when she arrived?"

"Why would the world change after she arrived? No, this is our world," The other Heather answered, looking slightly perturbed, "That portal leads back to yours," A steely seriousness seemed to be slowly overtaking the girl's brow, small noises were escaping her chest that Heather could so easily recognise, "I take it that this new Karma tricked my parents into thinking nothing had changed then, that's why they're not here…"

Heather tried to look to Karma, only to find that she had bounded over to her own set of parents and began to regale them. The additional Karma, clearly seeing that as more fun than explaining what was going on, had decided to join her. The young feline only found herself growing more confused.

"I guess so… I thought she visited me on purpose," Heather mumbled, finally managing to shrug off her father's hold, "She acted like this was so normal."

The other young princess sighed, folding her arms, "Yeah, she'll do that. She'll make up all kinds of tales and stories without thinking about the potential consequences."

"B-But she talked about powers and divine senses! Astral projection and…" Heather's parallel self looked at her like she was scum, "She said that she'd predicted that all this would happen."

"Please don't tell me you fell for all of her tricks, just like everyone else does?" Her doppelganger grumbled, balling her fists at her sides. Heather couldn't manage another word as shock and confusion overtook her. Her face undoubtedly transmitted the truth, "Really, you did? Even another version of me can't resist her façade? Can no one see through her blatant lies?!" She huffed and puffed, growing redder in the face and purring louder and louder. It was a response that Heather recognised; this wasn't anger, it was embarrassment, "Even my own self, I can't believe it. Everyone but me!"

"I thought…" It fully clicked, the reason she'd been made to meditate and close her eyes; Karma had attempted to sneak away that final card, identify it, and flip it back over before she could notice. It was as her parents said, the four of them had switched positions as they watched the Sol Emeralds yesterday afternoon; Karma hadn't come to aid her, she'd made a mistake and been transported.

Heather shot a glare at the jacket wearing version of her elder sister, only to find that she and her dimensional counterpart was still thoroughly regaling their parents. Before she could turn back to her own counterpart, the second Heather had unleashed a snort like groan and pushed her way into her bedroom; slamming the door behind her. Silence overtook the hallway for just a moment, even the pair of Karmas seemed to lose their voice.

The Silver that wasn't her actual father, but had recently been looking after a version of her, looked a little worried but his matching Blaze set her hand on his shoulder and looked to the unjacketed Karma, "She was panicking about losing you from the moment she woke up. You should probably go and talk to her, Karma."

"We know you did the same, despite trying to hide it," Heather's actual mother reminded the new Karma, "It's up to you two whether you tell your parents, I know they'd be quite shocked by this, but, regardless of what you both choose to do, I think you two should have a talk and sort things out."

"Ah, but my…" That Karma went to start a speech but seemed to catch herself, glancing to the door without her usual confidence, "You're probably right. I'll… check on her," She went for the doorknob but, before she could turn it, managed a last hurrah and show of her bizarre bravado, "Thank you, parents from another lifetime! Thank you for granting me such hospitality; your efforts will be paid forward in the form of good future fortune!"

"She'll be okay," Heather managed to speak up, catching the Karma's attention before she could enter. Unfortunately, the purple feline couldn't hold her stare, "She's not really angry just… embarrassed."

The native Karma quickly stepped inside after that and, though no immediate screams or shouts came, Heather was certain that there was a tension of some sort inside that room. The remaining purple princess turned back to face the group, finding that the Karma she'd known was still struggling to meet her eye. So, it was all fake, every word that she'd said, just a series of elaborately stacked lies. It should have been obvious sooner, like when she'd been called out and immediately changed her story, but her faux parents' willingness to accept her nonsense as regular had played into the lie. Even the fact that she'd never heard of the powers and concepts she'd been describing; they didn't make sense to her because they didn't exist.

But, why wasn't she angry? She was glaring but she was confused and almost a little sad more than anything.

"Well, I suppose we should get back. Can never be sure how long these portals will hold," Her dad's hand had returned to her shoulder, she was certain that he was beaming even though she couldn't stand to look, "Sorry it took us so long, it was difficult to trace just where you'd ended up."

"I-It's fine, I was safe," She insisted, only to feel her dad's arms wrap around her centre and pull her into a hug. Similarly, she watched as Karma's own Silver did the exact same… only the white furred cat was far better at returning his affection.

She watched as Karma's mother joined the hug and then, at a matching time, felt her own. Not wanting to stare at the object of her confusion any longer, Heather took that as a sign and turned to return her parents grasp. Automatically, her dad's grip got embarrassingly tighter.

"Well, we worried and missed you," Her mother informed her, warmth rippling from her body, "We're so glad you're okay."

The hug lasted for a while, assumedly for both parties, but a loud, attention seeking, cough managed to break the huddle and turn Heather around.

"Good fortune to you Heather! You can conquer the challenges ahead of you, I believe in you! Heed my advice and all will go well, you'll escape the troubles that have plagued you so!" She announced, her frame being swallowed by red light as, before Heather could even get a word in, the Karma drifted past her parents and towards her portal behind them, "I will watch over you from my domain; if you require my aid then simply call upon me! At the nearest juncture, as long as there are no greater perils, I will make myself manifest grant you further guidance! May your clairvoyance guide you well!"

Without a goodbye or the chance to be presented with one, Karma vanished through the flaming vortex. Almost immediately, noticing its consistency begin to waver, her parents waved a fast goodbye and ducked back through the portal too; clearly a little worried about misplacing their daughter again. Once they were through, the ball of flame seemed to collapse in on itself and fade from this reality; that left Heather and her actual parents standing in a close copy of their upper hallway.

"She seemed like a good kid really, even if she was a little more of a handful than you," Her dad managed to admit, "Certainly very imaginative but, more than that, very cuddly. She seemed to want a lot more attention than you usually do..."

"She…" Heather caught herself before she could rant, an embarrassed heat was beginning to creep over her face, "Takes after you much more than mum."

"Wh-What? Really?" Her dad stammered, overcoming all his tiredness, "Blaze, did she?"

"It did feel like I was seeing double sometimes," Her mother seemed to sleepily half chide, before placing a hand on her daughter's free shoulder, "Let's go home."

Despite how scary having the orb form around her had been, seeing it from the outside was substantially less terrifying. As a trio, they stepped in at the same time, passing through the burning portal and arriving in the treasure room. Heather glanced over her shoulder and watched as the flames petered out and the spinning of the emeralds slowed to an inevitable halt. It took little more than a glance from her mother to have the stones return to their containers in the wall and a wave of her father's hand to seal them in place.

"Heather, are you alright?" He asked, the concern clear in his voice even if she wasn't looking at his face.

"I'm fine," Heather said, far from certain that she was.

Her hands came up to touch the talisman around her neck, the artefact that she'd forgotten to return. Was it fake too? Probably, but she couldn't quite bring herself to take it off for some reason. She stood still, eyes on the carpet beneath her, a little swept up in her thoughts. Though that whole tarot reading was undoubtedly fake, the meditation practice especially, it had given Heather thoughts and had her consider things that she hadn't prior. Though the prediction of her drawn cards had been false, the prophecies derived from them still seemed like plausible problems she'd have to face. Once she got the responsibility she sought, there would surely be a time when she got that responsibility and it would be isolating; she wouldn't be able to rely on others as heavily. Her mother was the main barrier to her gaining responsibility, she was plainly worried about her and her inevitable future as the emeralds' guardian. She'd always stressed that she wanted Heather to live a normal life, or as normal as possible for as long as possible, letting that go was going to be difficult for both the queen and king.

This entire event had arisen because Heather, her parallel self and her false sisters were struggling to tend the Sol emeralds, that was proof enough that she needed more practice controlling them; that was a blatant hurdle in her path, another barrier she'd have to overcome. Even if Karma hadn't been perfect, even if she wasn't actually her sister, meeting the older feline had done some good. She was foolish and it was embarrassing to think, but it was true; she'd given Heather a lot to think about and insight to plan around. Even though she'd lied, if she had told the truth and they had panicked, she surely wouldn't have had nearly as good of a time either. Come to think of it, Karma was probably just as confused as Heather had been; perhaps some kind of latent older sibling role had kicked in once she got down for breakfast and found her parents discussing her younger sibling. Then again, maybe that was thinking too highly of her…

"Are you sure? I know today has probably been a little strange," Her mother asked further, her hand still upon her daughter's shoulder.

"Y-Yes I'm…" Blushing, Heather went to ball her hands in her pockets only to find that she wasn't wearing her coat. Slowly, another realisation dawned upon her, "She took my jacket!"


	38. Black, White and Grey

Something was bugging Blaze, intermittently pulling her attention from her reading. The kitten, now bordering on being a young feline, was laying on her belly with a book in her right hand and a small flame in her left, lounging across the bizarre set-up that'd become her most recent bed. Her current home was unlike any she'd had prior; the building wasn't an abandoned house or an old flat or really like any shop she'd lived in. No, for the reasons of both security and comfort, she and her partner had chosen a rather different abode this time; a garage on the edge of the aptly dubbed Crisis City, used decades ago to both repair and customise vehicles.

Her current bed consisted of the backseat of a rather undamaged red car while his was the open boot of a semi-deconstructed pickup truck, both hoisted up on metal pistons. They'd both made modifications to the cars in order to make them more practical and homely (the boot had been half filled with a cut-to-size mattress while Blaze's backseat had gained various pillows) but the arrangement was still just a little fresh and strange. Near the centre of the room, far above her, firelight light filtered into the building through a widely spaced ventilation grate and the garage's sole entrance was a heavy, sheet metal, door that had to be slid up rather than pushed open.

That wasn't what was bothering Blaze though, she'd selected this home and so she knew it to be an especially good fit. The building's location meant that they were far from where most of Iblis' lingering spawn prowled and, even if they did get close, the sturdy walls and metal door would surely both obscure and protect them. No, two rather foolish things were drawing her attention. The first of those silly things was the absence of her partner, Silver; the short grey hedgehog had gone out in search of food and, though she had faith in his abilities, was late returning. She truly did believe in him, he'd navigated the city and brought home food hundreds of times by now, but every time he took even a moment too long, a creeping worry would sneak its way into her mind. Bother number two was even sillier, unlike her first problem, she could solve bother number two herself, but she feared that it would set a bad precedent.

Upon arriving at their new home, the pair had fairly divided chores between them; who had to do what came down to how much the other person was already doing and how useful their powers were for the named task. For example, Blaze's pyrokinetic abilities meant that she was in charge of purifying water, shaping metal to form defences, dispelling fires, cauterising wounds, and, though she thought herself awful at it, cooking. She had additional tasks unrelated to her powers of course, she typically took responsibility for scouting missions and other simple tasks, but that was to balance things out as Silver's powers were so useful. The hedgehog's psychic abilities made him suited to scavenging of all types, lighting the dark, construction, transport, excavation, demolition and, the job he was ignoring through a present salvaging excursion, tidying. With little more than a wave of his hand and a few thoughts, Silver could not only return objects to their assigned locations but strip dust and debris from surfaces, bundle hair and fur into a disposable ball and tear stains free from various materials. In terms of those latter issues their home was relatively clean but, beneath the feline's reading position, various toys and games littered the floor.

Technically, those objects were shared between them but nine out of ten times it was Silver who'd bring them into their home. While they both heavily read, often exchanging books about both fictional and historical matters, Silver seemed to like finding other distractions from the outside world. Near the centre of the room, having been played just yesterday, was the toppled remains of a most bizarre block stacking game that they'd played; a tower of wooden bricks had been set up and they'd had to gradually remove pieces from it without letting the tower fall. Another game, its pieces scattered near the room's far wall, had called for them to roll dice in order to progress across a board, scaling ladders and slipping down snakes as they went.

Chance-based endeavours like Monopoly, Yahtzee and all manner of card games were very uncommon and, unfortunately, her least favourite. It felt to her as though there was little skill to them, even if there were strategies that could be employed, enough luck in either direction would often skew the game. He seemed to be getting better at finding games she liked though, that tower game had been predicated on elegance and gentleness and he had previously brought her a variety of word games that did seriously appeal to her. Regardless of the game though, Blaze couldn't deny that it was always fun to watch his nose wrinkle and panic set in as the hedgehog tried his hardest to escape defeat, regardless of the game type.

Despite that pleasant thought though, Blaze's annoyance at the lingering mess in their home was being compounded by worry over his disappearance. She dog-eared her book and set it on the car floor, stacked atop her other tomes, only for a wispy blue hue to begin leaching from the garage's entrance. With a rumbling roar, the folding metal rose to half its maximum height before quickly slamming itself back to the ground. That green-blue tone lingered within the room, providing a brightness that hadn't been there prior, though it was much dimmed from its initial flash. Silver the hedgehog was stood just beyond the door, a ludicrously large and overstuffed backpack on his back and a proudly beaming smile on his face.

"Blaze, Blaze, Blaze!" He barrelled toward her, half hovering to account for the surely ludicrous weight on his back, and pulled her into a crushingly tight hug, "I found the final pieces I need!"

Silver's white fur was dirtied with soot, but she couldn't see any new injuries on him. The hedgehog's runs into the city often resulted in a new burn or a few cuts but, despite his lateness, this occasion seemed to be an exception. The only real shift in his appearance was that change in colouration and the mess that was his quills; he was as grubby and short as ever.

"The final… pieces?" She questioned, managing to return his contact but finding herself rather perplexed. Blaze managed to shift to look him in the eye, only for his head to rub against hers, "I thought you were out searching for food?"

"Oh, I was, and I found lots!" He promised, pulling back just a little, "But I'm not hungry, I've got something I want to give you, I've wanted to finish it for so long now!"

This time, it was Blaze who kept a tight grip. Before Silver could pull away and slip off his bag, she made sure to hold him and catch his eyes in hers. He was plainly excited, extremely over enthusiastic about whatever she'd found, but the young cat knew she had to get out ahead of that, "I'm not hungry yet either, and I can't deny that I'm curious, but you have a job to do, Silver."

She thought he might refuse at first, distract himself and promise to do it later, but he'd heard the seriousness in her tone and, having glanced over her shoulder, had probably seen the mess he'd left. As he slightly sighed and half grumbled, she opted to release him. Unwilling to let his excitement flicker out and clearly wanting to do this as quickly as possible, the hedgehog shrugged the bag from his shoulders only for his psychic powers to gently lower it to the ground. He stepped to the centre of the room and raised his hands, cyan light flared around his body only to burst and cast from his palms; manifesting in almost every direction. She watched with glee as he began to conduct their surroundings, a smile broke onto her lips and her tail couldn't help but flicker.

Orbs and globules of cyan light encased cards, game pieces and other knick-knacks before shooting them in all directions like some sort of insane wind. Boxes would pop themselves upright only for their pieces to miraculously align and tumble into their containers, the cards shuffled themselves in the air before miraculously forming a full deck and all of Silver's books rapidly stacked themselves into neat piles. There was a clunk behind the feline, she turned to find that the four doors of the pickup truck had opened and that the seats and floor were rapidly being topped by various games and objects.

The constant whooshing and humming, sparkling and glowing of his psychic powers fully held the young cat's attention. Just as she thought the display might be ending, Silver's bag burst open and new masses entered their homely environment. Cans, bottles, tubs and packets raced their way across the room and found themselves spots on a series of metal shelves that'd once held tools and engine parts alike. In no more than a handful of minutes, following a final sweep with his aura that condensed all their homes dust and dirt into a palm sized orb, their home was fully clean. With a point of his finger, he briefly reopened the door and bowled the dirty sphere out of their home.

The light from their surroundings faded, now only shining from the bright tattoos on his hands and the cuffs on his extremities, "Alright, is that good enough?"

Blaze quickly turned away from him, realising quite how foolish the enamoured look on her face must have appeared. The skilful use of his powers could capture her attention in a way that nothing else could, a fact that seemed to be embarrassing her more the longer she knew him. Hiding her small blush, she paced the room slightly before noticing an object of interest, what seemed to be the only game box he'd not tidied away. Taking advantage of its position, set beneath his bed-car rather than within it, she knelt down and pulled it out; fully obscuring her face from him. It was unmarked or, rather, the front of the box had been scratched such that there was no name visible.

"Oh, um," She heard a rustle before his footsteps drummed behind her, "That's the game I've found the last pieces for, I've been meaning to give it to you for a while but… I could never find a good set, so I had to make one."

She turned back to him, hoping the flush had mostly faded from her face, "This is for me?"

"I know you don't really like a lot of the games we play, but you play them anyway because I find them fun," He explained, kneeling next to her, "I wanted to find a game that you'd find fun, one that doesn't involve any luck; only thinking and skill. I read about this game in a couple of stories, people would always say that it was fair and based on intelligence!" He was beaming again, she noticed that his hands were clasped around something small, "It's called chess, have you heard of it?"

"Chess?" Her head tilted as she parroted him, "I don't think so…"

With a small gesture, he slipped the lid from the box and revealed its contents. Sat at the top was a semi-see-through plastic bag which looked to mostly contain bottle caps but there were a few strange trinkets scattered among them, beneath that was a small booklet that looked very used and torn and, filling most of the box's base was a very bizarre playing mat. The bag and booklet carried themselves from the box, but Blaze plucked the board before Silver could take it. It was unlike any gameboard she had seen prior, having no real path through it or clear ending; it was more like a checkerboard pattern she'd seen on clothes and tiles. There was a long crease down its centre, where the board could fold for some kind of carrying and there was a somewhat tarnished plastic sheen to the chequered side, hypothetically in place to protect the board from spillages and dirt. On the left and right of the board were the numbers one through eight while the top and bottom of the board spelled A through H.

By the time Blaze had turned back to Silver, the hedgehog had shifted. Two pillows had been pulled from his bed and set opposite one another, the booklet had been flipped open in the air and he was rummaging through the bottlecap filled bag. Simultaneous to all this, he was looking at her and beaming again; just waiting for her to join him. Rolling her eyes, she rose from her position and took her seat, unfolding the board between them.

"So, what is this game? How do you play?" She asked, attempting to hide her curiosity.

"O-Okay, um," The pages ruffled and flipped, he was grinning but he already looked a little confused, "So chess is a game where we both have an army which consists of six different types of warrior, six different chess pieces as they're called, and each type can do different things. We go back and forth taking turns, only able to move one piece per turn. If a piece lands on an opponent's piece's spot, then it defeats that piece and takes it out of the game. The point of the game is to defeat your opponent's king, their most important piece… does that make sense?"

Having arranged the words in her mind for a moment, considering them, Blaze nodded.

"Let's go piece by piece because there are a lot of them," with a wave of his hand, a pair of rings emerged from the bag and landed on the board, near its centre, "This is the king. It starts here and can move one space in any direction," As if to emphasise his point, Silver made his king jump back and forth in the various ways it could move.

The ring on the hedgehog's side had a gold band with a large onyx shape affixed to it while Blaze's own was almost the opposite. A pearl was stuck to its front and its metal was very pale, she couldn't tell whether it was Silver or platinum. Catching his gaze, Blaze nodded affirmatively again, "I think I understand so far."

"This is the queen, it's a very important piece too; she can move in any single direction but, unlike the king, she can move as far as it wants in that direction," Next to the rings, Silver set an earring. His ended with a large onyx teardrop while hers was another shiny pearl.

"So, they can move like this…" Blaze picked up her earring, shifting from D8 to A8 to D4 before holding it back over D8, "Or even…" She shifted her queen from D8 straight forward, putting it in position to defeat Silver's queen, and looked at him expectantly.

"O-Oh, well, yes but it won't be as easy as that," He looked a little flustered, it reminded her of the face he wore when he knew he was going to lose. Perhaps this game would be fun, especially if it involved more thinking and skill like he said, "And if you did that then my king could take your queen, so we'd be in the same position. It'll be easier to win if you have lots of valuable pieces while I have fewer," He explained.

"I see, that makes sense…" She hummed, returning her queen to her home.

"Next are the bishop pieces, they're a lot simpler than the king and queen. These ones can move as far as they want, but only diagonally," Blaze expected more jewellery to come from the bag but, much to her surprise, the hedgehog produced four small seashells. She recalled their shape from a book of ocean creatures that she'd found as well as a book of cuisine, his two were small muscle shells while hers were clamshells.

"Why shells?" She couldn't help but ask, "You took the jewellery from one shop, weren't there broaches that would work?"

"There were, but…" He seemed to have to consider his own reasoning, "The king and queen are supposed to match, you know? They're together, they're meant to be special… right? Even though there are two sides and each side's members are supposed to match, I felt like they should match more."

"You're so naïve," No wonder it'd taken him so long to gather pieces, he could have made this much easier on himself if he hadn't followed that rule. Still, the thoughtfulness he had put into the game was becoming more and more apparent. He'd successfully hidden this for a few weeks at least, something especially difficult for the hedgehog, "Go on."

"These are the rooks, they're kind of like the bishops. They can move however far they want but only in straight directions," From the bag hovered two pairs of miniature castle turrets, their undersides coated in a fluffy grey material. They took their place not next to the bishops but at the corners of the board, leaving a one square gap. He caught her eye just after she noticed them, "Don't worry, I'll explain that piece later. Do you understand how bishops and rooks work?"

"Yes, they seem rather simple, but I suppose positioning well will take a great deal of thought," Blaze acknowledged, examining her right rook. It was a rather peculiar little castle; she couldn't imagine what its purpose had been prior to their game. It felt as though it was made from some kind of heavy stone, perhaps marble? It was a little bigger than the other pieces too, almost exceeding the box that was meant to contain it.

"These rooks were the only actually chess pieces I could find in a nice condition," Silver explained, likely having caught her curiosity and chosen to clue her in, "There weren't really any sets of groups of four left for the set with the board I found, and the other pieces from the rook's set had been knocked from a table and smashed. The board these rooks came with was really nice too, but it fell apart when I picked it up."

From these alone, she couldn't imagine what a true chessboard would look like. Perhaps the royal pieces would be crowns but what of the bishops? "It's… interesting."

"Now for the most common pieces, these are called pawns," Suddenly, the plastic bag began to jangle as though there was a live creature within it.

Twenty-five bottle caps popped and flipped their way free from the sack and began to tap their way onto the board's front lines; they lined up in front of the named pieces. The caps belonged to two different drinks; the row closer to Silver belonged to a rather common cherry cola beverage, advertised in black and striped with red, while those closer to Blaze were white and derived from a beverage she hadn't seen before. Each one was marked with the simple phrase Cream Soda in a pink, cursive, font. He revealed a final cap from his palm and set it on her end of the board, completing her line.

"It was hard to find good ones, I got really lucky at a couple of newsagents," Silver explained, before beginning to psychically show the motions with some of the pawns, "Okay, so, usually pawns can only move one space at a time and only straight forward, but there are a couple of conditions that can change that. The first time they move, they can move two spaces forward and, rather than beating other pieces by moving straight forward, they defeat others by moving one space diagonally forward," Having displayed this using two pawns, allowing her piece to take his, he returned them to their opposing ends before displaying the next manoeuvre, "However, that means when a pawn is directly in front of another pawn or another piece, it cannot move at all," He'd progressed the turns such that two of their pawns had come head to head, only when another of his caps came diagonal of her own, allowing it to be claimed and for their initial pawns to pass each other.

That all done, he looked at her to confirm she understood. Now the game was starting to make more sense, but with the pawn line in place she'd had a thought, "Just as pawns can't pass through other pawns by going straight, you can't pass through your own pieces. My queen couldn't just jump over the pawns, is that correct?"

"That's right, yep!" He was beaming, clearly taking her inquisitiveness as a sign that she was into the game. He wasn't wrong to be honest, this game seemed to be entirely without luck; it had very serious, very clearly set, rules that both players had to follow too. She couldn't land on go to jail three times in a row or just keep rolling ones, this was a game of thinking and skill, "There's only one kind of piece that can jump over others, they jump over others no matter what and only fight where they land. They're the one I had so much trouble with, the knights!"

From behind him, Silver drew out four small masses of plastic and set them in board's remaining empty slots. It took Blaze picking up one of hers and thoroughly frowning at it to understand what he'd used to represent the knights. They were small, plastic, toy soldiers that had been melted from the waist down; the heated plastic had been flattened at the bottom in order to make a base of sorts. Hers looked to be small white bears, perhaps meant to be polar bears, while Silvers were black cats.

"It took me a while to find something else that would fit the board," Silver grinned, before beginning to show the piece's potential movements again, "Okay, so, knights can move one space and two spaces in another direction, left, right, forwards or backwards, in any order. They can't go three forwards or two forwards and one back, they always have to move in the shape of a capital L basically."

Putting his knight in the centre of the board, he showed all eight positions the piece could land in.

"The knight jumps over everything, friend or foe, to reach its final resting spot. They only take other pieces where they finally stop, just like how every other piece must stop when it takes a piece, so a knight can be surrounded by other pieces but unable to take any," Silver explained before rather awkwardly admitting, "They're a little bit confusing to be honest, I don't really get why they work like that, but that's all the pieces. Here, we can share the rules in case either of us get stuck," He presented her with the paper he'd been half reading from and half recalling. In hindsight, she probably could have just read that, but he was clearly very excited to share this, "So, do you want to play?"

The eagerness on his face had presented an opportunity that Blaze couldn't help but give in to yet, simultaneously, take advantage of. She folded her arms, looking off as if she was still considering it. Worry flitted across his face, just as she saw his fists basket and wriggle, she gave an answer, "I suppose you've convinced me."

"Great! Alright," Almost immediately, rather than puppet the pieces as he had prior, Blaze watched as he leant in to use his hands… only to catch himself and pause, "Oh, black gets to go first…" He seemed to suddenly panic, gesturing a little wildly, "I-I set it up this way you can see what I do and learn how to play more? I've had a couple of thoughts about how to play before, I swear I'm not trying to che-

"It's fine, Silver," Seeing his panicked face was only enticing her more, she had already begun to form some semblance of a plan, though she was sure it would collapse partway through this first game. Still, they'd surely have plenty of matches to scheme and learn over, "That makes sense, make your move."

"Okay, a-and, right, if you get in a position where you could beat my king next turn then you have to say check. If you get my king in a position where he'd get beat no matter what then you say checkmate," He quickly recited, fumbling to excitedly shift the G2 pawn up to G4.

Without so much as blinking, Blaze took a similar step and walked her C7 pawn two places forward. Next Silver moved his knight on Blaze's left, it was only a small, gentle, shift, but Blaze's tail was beginning to swish. She slid her queen out from behind the wall of pawns, he wasted his next turn positioning his bishop such that it might move further soon. Comfortable with her queen's position, threatening the knight yet unable to take it due to his row of pawns behind it, Blaze was free to prepare a further weapon; she shifted her left knight out of holding, the next turn it would be able to take his first moved pawn. He struggled for a moment on his next turn, Blaze's tail batted more, but eventually opted to set up his bishop so if the pawn was slain the knight would fall next. Knowing it safe, Blaze now casually walked her second knight directly into the bishop's path; flanked by pawns, it would go untouched.

It'd only been a few turns, yet the board was already messy with deadlocks and threats. Her tail had gone from scarcely shifting to fluttering behind her, every so often making a sound as it traced across the stone floor. Blaze's eyes flickered to him, his teeth were already grit and his starting plan was plainly in shambles, his intent to utilise his bishop quickly was inferior to her freeing of the queen. He couldn't even free his own queen now, not swiftly at least, his own knight was in the way! There was no luck in this, he hadn't been put in this place by mere fortune, she was teasing this reaction from him.

Having almost made at least three moves before settling, Silver fretfully pushed his left pawn to threaten her knight. Swiftly, Blaze moved her knight to freedom on its right side. He double moved the pawn in front of his king to resume that offensive pressure, but that merely made Blaze smirk. They were so in sync, she could read him so well, this was oh so easy. The pyrokinetic's move was simple, her queen took one step backwards and threw her eyes back to him. His face twisted and he looked back to her, entirely confused, before, just as she'd expected, he touched his queen and went to move her. It was then that he realised; her queen had backed down from the fight with his knight to engage in a far more important battle. The hedgehog couldn't move his queen for, if he did, then they'd both lose that important piece and, Blaze liked to think, she'd be in a better position. He'd made an opening in his defence for no real reason.

Panic was even more clear now; Silver moved the pawn in front of his queen to block her queen's path. That only served to essentially trap the queen behind her own guard, the piece was practically useless now, for two turns at least, so Blaze let one of her right pawns take its first step forward to align with the first piece his queen could possibly take, a mere pawn. Silver, seeming not to understand this, moved his queen forward in preparation for next turn; just as predicted. Blaze shifted her right knight into alignment in front of that pawn, directly in front of enemy lines and yet untouchable; stationing it so that the queen would only have one option if she left her cell, to take the knight and fall to a pawn.

"W-Wow, you're already really good at this Blaze," He stammered, tugging at his chest fur, "Was I right? Is this the kind of game you like?"

"Yes, I think this is already my favourite of our games. It's so much more exhilarating," To match her praise, she chided him, "You're obviously stalling, Silver."

"I-I wasn't, you just looked happy and… uhm…" Silver stared at the board again, clearly thinking hard. Unwilling to touch his queen, the psychic opted to move the knight that'd been previously trapped by her queen; it shifted from C6 to D4, behind Blaze's knight. A bad move, Blaze instantly freed her bishop to threaten the knight; yes, it could be taken by a pawn if she acted on the threat, but now no matter the act, it had a price. Now made wary again, he made a more pointless move and shifted his previously unmoved knight forward. This was Blaze's chance to capitalise! He had made an aimless move; she could gain more initiative and-

An earthquake shook the room, its thunderous force causing the very cars they slept in to screech and shift atop their platforms. Before that sound could truly proliferate though, Silver threw his hand forward; in an instant, he and Blaze were wrapped in thick cyan light. Just as he was protecting them from falling, he was equally defending them from the roof potentially caving in. The shifting of earth passed quickly but in its short period, Blaze caught the change in expression on Silver's face. The awkwardness in his frame and that goofily stunned look had drained from his face. Unfortunately, his reflex hadn't extended to their game and the pieces had been sent tumbling in all directions.

His gaze fell to that and, though a look of regret instantly cut across his brow, but the hedgehog turned his open palm from Blaze to the large metal door. It folded itself upward and coiled out of their way, Silver set off first only for Blaze to quickly follow. An aftershock almost tripped him as they arrived outside, but, beyond it, there was no sign of change on the almost empty road stretching beyond their house. That meant the threat wasn't close but that didn't mean they didn't have to deal with it, she very well knew what these earthquakes likely signified.

With a flash of cyan aura, he jumped up and onto the roof of their building. Upon landing, he crouched and extended a hand; she ran, jumped, caught his hand and was very easily pulled to the top. Despite the small height of their building, hot winds whipped and blustered with a terrifying force before, in an instant, entirely vanishing. The two of them managed to rise and turn towards the city, only to have their fears confirmed. Far away, but not too far away, a skyscraper had been uprooted by a magma flood. Among that molten mass, towering almost as tall as that building had once been, hunched Iblis; the demonic flame that had destroyed this world.

They could already see great pimples of flame bursting on its back, unleashing a new load of its spawn on the world as it awakened from its slumber and resumed its destruction. She tore her gaze from it and looked to him, finding that his adorable panic had now fully fled and given way to a steely and determined frown. His entire body language had changed, going from so soft and slack to prickly and hardened. Even though he'd worked for weeks gathering pieces, even though he'd practically begged her to play with him, he'd already accepted that they'd have to put their game on hold.

Gently, she squeezed his hand and held it tightly to her side.

Their fun and games had been interrupted by the inevitable, the reason such games weren't more commonplace in this long-destroyed world. They were kids, if what the books said was true, they shouldn't have to endure this, but there was no point in crying about it. Acting was their only option. Not today, they weren't ready, but tomorrow perhaps.

They would fight to resume their peaceful life, just hoping that maybe, one day, they'd get to play as much as they wanted.

* * *

The casual caress of late morning sunbeams fell upon an elder feline's temple and gently dried the drowsiness from her. The covers still engulfed the monarch, bundling comfortably around her thin frame, and the softness of her mattress was hard to deny, but a certain figure laying with her, shifting ever so slightly, brought her eyes to flicker and remain open. She saw him first as a mess of grey fur, a mess whose chest her head was currently atop, but with a small shift and a fair amount of blinking, her smile curved broadly as she observed his sleeping form. His body had changed a lot these past few years.

He'd grown both physically, now standing a good head above her, and to better fit his name. Fur that'd once bordered on being white was now cast a steelier colouration; from quill to tail, he now more Silver than ever before. It wasn't fully consistent, the centre of his chest fur was fighting the change far better than the rest of his body, but age was undeniably making its mark on him. Smile lines framed his muzzle, he had more wrinkles now than scars. Blaze knew she was the same of course, the tips of both her tail and ponytail had long blended with the rest of her body, but those changes were likely less obvious to him than they were to her. At every given opportunity, he'd still call her beautiful, just as she still thought he was handsome.

Blaze the cat had entered her twilight years; she'd arrived at age eighty just last month and he'd be following her in a handful of weeks. They'd both grown slower with age but, admittedly, the impact of that time was a little more visible in her day to day life, even if Silver was undoubtedly struggling more. He would rarely be seen walking without some kind of psychic aid either around his body or manifested as a walking cane and, were it not for his want to hold her hand, he probably would have been flying everywhere. Meanwhile, while climbing buildings and demolishing robots was likely out of the question, Blaze's body had remained a little firmer due to her constant physical training.

She watched his bright yellow eyes finally flicker open, quickly falling on her. Before either of them could speak a word, a smile had snuck its way onto his muzzle, "Good morning, Blaze," He managed to coo.

"Good morning," She gently shifted up his body, bringing her forehead to bump and rub against his before she gently leaned in to peck his lips. Even in her older age, even having done this thousands of times, that contact still sent tingles down her spine and brought her tail to swish, "How were your dreams?"

In the wake of her works, his nose poked and rubbed against hers before he claimed another gentle kiss, "They were wonderful," Another kiss was taken, "You were in them."

She waited for a further explanation but got none, "That's all?"

"That's more than enough, everything else was just a bonus," His nose rubbed against hers again.

Even at this old age, he still blushed as he tried to speak sweet nothings to her, "You're so naïve…"

"You're so pretty," He mumbled back, "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully, I had my favourite pillow after all… but if I keep lying like that, I'll surely put a crick in my neck," She half teased and half confessed, finally pulling away a little, "Oh well, these are the sacrifices we make…"

As a pair who'd known and lived through sacrifice after sacrifice, these little things didn't bother them at all. While others feared this point of life, they were relishing a time they never thought they'd see let alone see together.

"Well, if yours gets bad then you can have mine," He goofily promised, sitting up to follow after her.

"How thoughtful," She purred, slinking away again and pulling back the covers. Little dances like this were how they typically woke up on easy days like this; it looked as though he was chasing her when really, she was toying with her prey, "Can I have the rest of you too?"

"Well, you gave me your heart," She'd made it out of the bed, he was sitting on its edge, "I don't think I have anything even half as valuable, so you can have whatever you want."

"I don't know about that," She leaned in again, cupping his cheek and kissing his lips, "You gave me yours after all."

She gently dragged her hand from his face and stepped away, applying the tiniest bit more pressure with her wedding banded finger. They were coming up on sixty years married, their diamond wedding anniversary. The Sol dimension would be abuzz about it as it grew closer still, but they'd already made their private plans. A trip to the past of that other dimension, a time that they knew would be peaceful but that they also knew they looked old enough not to be recognised by their (or anyone else's) younger selves. They'd found that those pockets of time were the most private spots in the universe, perfect for relaxing. Still, they'd visit their friend's present too before heading home; it'd been a good couple of months since their last time traveling excursion.

Getting dressed was easy, her wardrobe hadn't changed too much over the years; some more comfortable white trousers had taken the place of her tights and a bun had stolen her ponytail's place. Silver's, meanwhile, had gone from eclectic in his youth to more regular during adulthood before now resting in a vaguely wizard like place. His choice to wear robes did suit him, and the cold wracked him quite badly nowadays, but the loss of visible chest fur was a grave sacrifice. Still, the baggy sleeved cyan shawl did look very comfortable on him and the glasses that age had required him to wear for reading rather completed the look.

"Do you want to play some more today," He made the offer, rolling his shoulders and wrists, "I don't think we've got anything planned…"

"I don't think we do, no… and they'd know where to find us if something came up," She led, smiling again, "But you remember how that game is going, don't you? Just like the last few have."

"You're underselling yourself, calling it a few," He admitted, pulling his fluffy quills into a loose ponytail, "But, whether I win or lose, you know I love playing with you."

"Well, in that case," She snuck her arm around his, "Shall we depart?"

It took him no more than a glance to their large bedroom window to push it open, parting the curtains and revealing the balcony. After a few steps across soft carpet, the clacking of shoe on stone entered her ears. The royal garden lay beneath them, in all its resplendent glory. Rosebushes of five different colours cut maze-like channels through the grounds, leading lily fields and foxgloves and all manner of wonderful places. The pond would be so full of life today, spring was just beginning to turn to summer, and all the plants were in prime condition. Their goal was no outdoor spot though, the sight of their games was central to the entire garden; a metal and glass structure painted white, the royal summerhouse. During her childhood she'd thought it a pompous and useless building and, to be fair, it still was, but at least they'd found it some kind of function.

As they reached the small wall that guarded the balcony's ledge, Blaze felt a certain weightlessness overcome her form. Soon her legs had glided up and into his right arm, his left hand coming to hold between her shoulders even though his psychic light was doing most of the effort.

Regardless of that fact, as she looked up and into her husband's eyes. Sometimes, Blaze still couldn't help but smile like some foolish schoolgirl with a crush, "Even after all these years, you can still sweep me off my feet."

His cheeks reddened, she watched him shift a little closer to kiss her forehead. It was then, entirely nonchalantly, Silver jumped onto the wall with her in his arms, "Ready?"

She nodded and he stepped off, but neither of them fell. Instead, Silver began to casually walk them through the air as though they were still on the ground. Her fear of heights had vanished half a century ago, having a boyfriend turn husband who could fly had certainly helped with that, but her gaze still refused to leave his aged features for either the sky or lovely the lovely scenery they were passing over. He looked so content, walking through the air with her in his arms; he'd carried her in the life before this one but never worn such a relaxed face. It looked so good on him. As his eyes collided with hers again, she couldn't help but match his look as she snuggled a little deeper into his glow.

Gradually, the clouds that framed his face drifted further and further away. Despite the glow that lingered around them, Blaze began to hear the hedgehog's light footfalls before the door of the summerhouse seemed to open itself. Finally, she tore her gaze from him and saw their private place; a small table with cushioned metal chairs stood in the middle of a roughly hemisphere glass and metal room, potted plants were stationed around the room's edge as well as a small tap to draw water from. As they approached, the mess they'd left on the table became clearer; their chessboard, tea set, various teas and small pile of books had gone untouched since yesterday. She was gently lowered onto her chair, pushed in with a combination of psychic power and his own touch.

Before he could drift to his side of the table, she caught his hand and gestured him down; another kiss was planted, this time on his cheek, "Thank you, Silver."

"Any time," He rubbed his muzzle against hers again before rising and rounding the table, his fingers fell upon where she'd kissed him.

As he sat, a cyan glow overcame their tea set and carried it through the air. While it went to the tap for cleaning, she watched as he leaned in and marvelled at their prior game before taking a similar position herself. They'd played four yesterday, having to stop part way through their fifth for a dining arrangement with their family. Curiously, this board composition looked incredibly familiar; even if it wasn't one she'd seen in this lifetime. Sitting across from him like this, today more than ever, reminded her of that first game they'd ever played together. Perhaps they'd finally finish it today.

She was to go first but she already knew what she'd be doing, his movements were far more interesting. Next turn he'd move his knight again, just as he had at the end of their last yesterday, he'd surely freed it from its starting point for a reason… though one of his pawns was threatening her knight, when had that happened? The tea pot, now full of water, floated over and was set atop a small tripod with a metal dish set beneath it. With a wave of her hand, Blaze placed a small flame to begin and bring the water to boil.

Blaze made her play, bringing their knights face to face; she moved her one from F5 to H4.

As anticipated, he moved his knight from H3 up to F4; he was taking a more offensive stance than she was. Even if her queen was in a better position, he was descending on her, it was time for a change of pace. She moved her far left pawn a single space from its starting position, priming it to take or be taken by one of his pawns in the immediate future. He had three real options; he could take the pawn and have it be taken by her rook next turn, leave his pawn to die and let her pawn take his (threatening his rook in the immediate future) or move that pawn forward, making it quite useless but slowing her rook's advance. He opted to take the pawn, a play that Blaze thought was suboptimal.

"That's the first piece taken this whole game," Silver seemed to realise.

"It'll be far from the last," Blaze casually contested, immediately pushing her rook up to claim his murderous pawn.

As she took the small black figurine between her fingers, she couldn't help but marvel at it slightly. They had received many chess sets over the years but this one, a wedding gift from Sonic and Amy, was their favourite by far. The rosy hedgehog still thought it was so cute that they played a lot of board games, especially this one; she seemed to think the royal aspect was rather fitting. This was a proper marble chess set; its pieces were all smooth to the touch and had a weight that made every move seem meaningful. The clack of his rook and king castling, a move that they hadn't even known about in their prior life, as he perfectly read one of her stratagems was evidence enough of that. If she moved her rook to check it, it'd be taken by his knight only for that knight to be taken by a pawn.

It wasn't worthwhile, Blaze instead opted to move her knight from H4 to F3, claiming his bishop on white and unleashing the first worthy call of the match, "Check."

His hand forced; Silver ducked his king all the way into the far-left corner. The feline found herself smirking as he made that retreat. She knew that move had been foreseen on his part, but she had claimed first check just as he had claimed first blood. One was far more indicative of the game than the other and, to commemorate that impact, she somehow doubted he'd anticipated her next move. That white knight moved to D2 and defeated his queen, an action that brought her very tail to swish and the small fire she'd conjured to burst and ember with delight.

Her knight was quickly taken by his bishop, but the damage was done. His brow had crumpled, he was deep in thought; this was the expression she loved to pull from him, the one where he'd push up his glasses and try to look serious. The harder he tried, the cuter Blaze thought it made him look.

Hearing the kettle whistle, she dulled the flame and looked to their various boxes, "What kind of tea do you want?"

"I was thinking mixed berry, are you okay with that?" He managed to ask, thinking hard as she stalled her turn to look at him.

"Of course," She took their small, heart shaped, infuser and filled it with that colourful purple and red mixture before plopping it into the water.

With her turn, she chose to race her rook forward now; it was pushed from H6 to H4, leaving his king's guard of a pawn paralysed in front of it and staying out of his knight's range. Unfortunately, though a less wise individual would leave that entrapment, Silver knew this game well. Her goal hadn't been to pressure his king so much as claim the knight to the rook's left, he shifted it from F4 to G2. Blaze now moved her own knight, claiming one of his pawns and threatening his right rook. This game was nearing its end, but she was certain there'd be a slugging match before its conclusion. Silver rushed his black-squared bishop to align with her rook, ensuring a mutual sacrifice of rooks as her knight claimed his first. After that devastation, it was her turn again and the queen was so much freer to move.

The piece with which she shared a title rushed from A6 to D3, claiming a pawn in its path and aligning with his remaining rook. In an attempt to dissuade that piece's destruction, Silver stepped his king within a single space of the small tower. That was fine though, there were more pieces she could pick off first; the feline's queen took the pawn immediately behind it and, from its new position, threatened both his knights simultaneously.

Silver was visibly sweating, his teeth hung just above his lip and her little flame sputtered brighter again. He tugged at his robes, aiming for the chest fur that lay beneath it, and psychically pushed his spectacles further up his nose. Smirking wider still, the queen poured both herself and the king cups of tea. He met her eyes briefly and managed to thank her, but this little hedgehog clearly knew that he was in the cat's grasp, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Unable to see another move, he shifted his knight onto the starting line of her pawns, "Check."

It was an adorable attempt to offset her, Blaze simply stepped her king a single pace right and allowed it to escape defeat while, simultaneously, threatening that knight. He picked up his knight again, going to take her rook, only to catch himself and realise her bishop would reverse and make it a mutual sacrifice. He then considered simply setting the knight in front of her pawn, but realised it was still within that bishop's range. He fully bit his lip, breathing in a sharply; the elder feline relished in that single moment, watching his panic build to the highest it could possibly reach. The game was practically over, but they'd play this out; cats liked to play with their prey, after all. He moved his knight out of the way to hide among two of her pawns.

When he finally finished deliberating, Blaze moved her bishop on white to a spot that would threaten it once again. The knight backed up again, incidentally moving to threaten her queen. After that monarch took a single pace backwards, his horse was on the run again and Silver's sweat looked as though it might overflow. Unable to determine what to do, he simply had it retreat one last time, pulling in behind two of his four remaining pawns and taking a seat next to Blaze's own knight.

Blaze dragged her bishop from A6 all the way to F1, claiming his final rook. He only had eight pieces left and four of them were pawns which hadn't moved this entire game, meanwhile she had only lost three pieces. By the look in his eyes, Blaze knew that he could see the writing on the wall, he knew exactly how she planned to end this and was powerless to stop him. She took a deep sip of her tea; he hadn't even touched his. His king avenged the rook and claimed her bishop only for Blaze to let her queen take a single step forward and right. Silver moved his cornered knight out again, threatening to take that queen if it moved to put the king in check while the pawn behind it would take that queen if she dared to attack the knight.

Understanding this, Blaze slid the queen two spaces right; she threatened the pawn that would threaten her. The targeted pawn took a step forward, attempting to assure mutual destruction, but Blaze thought that play was sloppy; fear of losing was making him her puppet. As it moved forward, his knight became easy pickings for her.

The hedgehog almost entirely deflated, Blaze reached over and ruffled the back of his quills, "It was a good game but I'm quite certain it's nearing its end…"

He made a half groaning sound as he walked his remaining knight forward, "I'm not giving up yet," He never would.

The pyrokinetic walked her queen to the back line, "Check."

His king jumped forward and between two of his pawns. Blaze went to free her second bishop only to realise an aspect of the board she hadn't noticed. His bishop was perfectly in line with his king; were it not for the paralysed pawn, this game would have been a lot closer than it presently was. Instead, she opted to move her queen back a space and threaten his two remaining pawns. One jumped forward but, soon enough, both were beat and all he got out of it was shifting his remaining knight closer to the front lines. With only five pieces remaining, Silver moved his knight directly into the path of her king in an attempt to draw it out. Rather than take it like that, Blaze let it dance with her remaining rook and forced it back to where it had been. The pair kept chasing each other, Silver breaking a smile at the silliness, only for her to threaten his king with her rook. It was forced to shift back into the far corner, H1, but the game was over.

Blaze sent her queen onto the back line, it'd been cornered by that castle and queen pincer-movement, "Checkmate."

"Well, I think that's six, it's not my longest losing streak but we'll see," The king briefly flustered himself looking for a way out before admitting defeat, knocking his self-named piece over and finally taking a sip of his tea. In its wake, as always, he was grinning, "You're still so wonderful at this."

"After all this time, you're just easy for me to read and it's so cute to watch you squirm," She casually admitted, prompting the very reaction she'd mentioned, "Seeing you flustered just entices me to play better," She conceded, gesturing to the board, "Another?

"Of course," He beamed, shoulders relaxing as he set the board up again, "Seven's supposed to be a lucky number, isn't it?"


End file.
